


My Alpha

by imjustmick



Category: Supernatural
Genre: A/B/O, Accidental Knotting, Accidental Sex, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Dean Winchester, Breeding, Castiel and Jimmy Novak are Twins (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester Mutual Pining, Claiming Bites, Dean is a cocky little shit, F/M, Face-Fucking, Face-Sitting, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Knotting, Knotting Dildos, M/M, Masturbation, Mpreg, Mutual Masturbation, Not Beta Read, Omega Dean, Oral Sex, POV Dean Winchester, Past Child Abuse, Past John Winchester/Mary Winchester, Past Relationship(s), Pregnancy, Pregnant Dean Winchester, Pregnant Sex, Rough Sex, Slow Build Castiel/Dean Winchester, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Top Castiel (Supernatural), Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, True Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 57,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23688403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imjustmick/pseuds/imjustmick
Summary: The first "chapter" contains the summary because it's too long to put here.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Castiel/Meg Masters, Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester
Comments: 44
Kudos: 167





	1. Summary

**Author's Note:**

> Slow at updates 😬

Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak are close-knit best friends. They grew up across the street from each other and their families were close as well, especially after the death of John Winchester. Dean would never admit he was slightly thankful for it. Don't get him wrong, Dean loved his dad, it's just John was a bit of an abusive drunk to him after he presented as an Omega at the presenting Omega and Alpha age of 16. It didn't help that his younger brother, Sam Winchester, presented as a Beta at the Beta presenting age of 12 and Dean took all the emotional blows for him. John Winchester never hit his boys, but he most certainly would always let them know how much of a mistake they were to him, Dean especially. That's why at John's funeral/celebration of life Dean and his best friends, Castiel, Charlie, and Benny, along with Castiel's twin brother Jimmy and older brother Gabriel, all excused themselves to go hang out and laugh under the big tree out back of Dean's house.

Now at 30 with a Masters Degree in Car Mechanics, a beautiful Alpha girlfriend, and working at $28 an hour at his Uncle Bobby's repair shop "Singer's Auto", Dean manages his life fairly well. He always has time for his best friends, his girlfriend, and his job. He isn't some "Worthless Omega bitch" his father told him he was. But what happens when his heat suppressants fail around his childhood best friend, Castiel, while working on his oh so lovely "Pimp Mobile" (as Gabriel, Castiel's older brother, had deemed it) late at night after closing hours. What happens when Dean is BEGGING for an alpha that isn't his? What happens when Castiel pulls over to the side of the road and knots his best friend of 30 years in the back of the Omega's own car with protection because every nerve ending is lit on fire at the smell of his friend's heat and the instinct to breed, claim, and protect is flooding through his veins and leaking out into his scent?


	2. 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my very first official fic on Archive! My writing has come a long way since my very first fic, We Meet Again on Wattpad (and now on here). I am proud of how my writing flourished and branched out from what it once was nearly 6 years ago I not only have to thank those on Wattpad and now here for encouraging me by liking my work, but I also have my old Junior and Senior year (11th and 12th grade year in high school) English teacher for always encouraging my writing, and, being so supportive and enthusiastic about the writing assignments she would make us do. I would always get 100s on them and have the honor of them being read to the class when it was astonishingly great. Alright, I'm rambling. Enjoy the fic :)

I groan as I reach for my alarm clock on the nightstand to shut it off, "Babe, wake up." I roll back onto my back and sigh, "We really shouldn't have stayed up so late last night." I say while rubbing the crust from my eyes.

"You know how my ruts can be, Dean. I needed you," Lisa shifts her position so she can drape her arm around my middle and rest her head on my chest. I could smell her rut slowly dying down. "The toys and your worn shirts just weren't enough to satisfy me this time."

"I'm just glad the female rut lasts for two days," I wrap my arm around her and rest my hand on her shoulder, silently scenting her. My cock gives a tired, interested twitch at the vanilla bean and rose rut intensified scent of her, "The Alpha male rut can last for up to a week and a half!" Lisa chuckles before rolling on top of me and nuzzling her face into my neck before taking a big breath through her nose.

"Yeah, my brothers would be locked in their rooms forever and stinking up the whole house." Lisa sits up and looks down at me, tracing the top of her bite indent on the side of my neck, "I'm really sorry about this, but the way," She says with a small frown. I rest a hand on her thigh and take a gentle hold of her wrist of the hand that was tracing her bite mark.

"It's fine, Lis. You didn't break the skin so it's technically not breaking the law." I assure her. I knew she was worried about it when it happened. She sunk her teeth in but pulled away fast before her bite broke skin when she came. It was a stupid law, you can only mark your mate after one year of marriage. I suppose I understand it though, it's set to protect Omegas from being mated to abusive scum. You couldn't mate for a whole year either. Sex was fine, but never during ruts or heats for the first year of marriage, and when a rut or heat was coming up Omegas and Alphas were to be removed from the home and placed under professional's care or under families care. It is totally unfair, but it is, again, to protect Omegas from abusive partners. No kids mean no ties once the divorce is settled and the Omega is safe. Omegas are also looked over thoroughly for claiming bites and any signs of abuse every week after marriage. All of this also applies to True Mates but finding your True Mate is next to impossible. It is something I am so not looking forward to when I finally marry Lisa. I am not exactly sure what a True Mate bond feels like, but my nerd of a brother, Sam, studied it collage. He said when it's formed it was like everything clicks into place and your heart beats fast while your hands sweat and your tongue ties itself into knots. I definitely felt some of that with Lisa.

"Well, I suppose we should get ready for work," Lisa leans down to kiss me, "I have to get to work early to grade papers." She pulls the covers down and climbs off of me, giving me a long once over before winking and walking to the on-suite bathroom. I run a hand through my sweat dirtied hair before getting out of bed myself and stripping it. I walk to the laundry room down the hall and toss all the dirty bedding in, eyeballing the detergent and softener before turning it on _heavy-duty_ and shutting the lid before joining Lisa in the shower.

After the shower, I put on my scent blocker for work and throw on a dark t-shirt, ripped knee blue jeans, and a green and black plaid overshirt, not bothering with the buttons, "Waffles or pancakes?" Lisa asks as I enter the kitchen and walk to the coffee pot.

"Do we even have time for them?" I ask as I scoop coffee grounds into the filter on top of the coffee maker, "We're cutting it close as is," I fill the coffee pot with water and pour the water into the machine and I jump at the contact of Lisa's hand slapping my ass and squeezing.

"We wouldn't be running late if you didn't have such a great body," Lisa half growls into my ear as she wraps her arms around me, her left hand sliding down to cup me over my jeans. I scent the air and groan as I get a whiff of second wind rut. 

"Lisa, I can't call out again! The old man will kill me!" I moan as she leaves wet kisses on my neck. Lisa pulls away just before my slick starts forming and kisses my cheek.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone so you can get to work," Lisa says as she walks to the island counter to unplug her cellphone and open it, "I know for sure I have to work late tonight, I'm behind on grading two classes papers, so feel free to order out." She taps the call button and puts her phone to her ear and walks back to the bedroom at the end of the hall, "Ruby, hey!" She closes the door behind her. I walk over to get my phone and see a text from Castiel.

_C: I could really use a pick me up right now. I, well, I lost another patient tonight. He was only 20, his Alpha is devastated like anybody would be, but now he has a kid to care for alone. Give me a call when you wake up or when you have a moment, I just really need to talk to somebody who isn't a doctor or nurse._

I frown at my phone screen. Castiel always took it so hard when one of his patients passed away during childbirth. Omega male births were dangerous as they were so rare and understudied. Ever since I presented Omega and Castiel presented Alpha, he took it upon himself to become an obstetrician for male Omegas. I look at the time and sigh. It was too early to call Cas, he would be sleeping by now as it was the end of his workweek.

_D: I'll call you later, man. I'm sorry you lost one last night, but don't blame yourself. Blame the freaking government or something for not taking the time and effort to research Omega male births to make them safer. I'm runnin' late as is so I'll call you on break... if the old man gives me one. Sleep well, sleeping beauty._

I hit send and quickly make myself a cup of coffee to go.

As I walk into the shop of Singer's Auto I hear Bobby curse under a car before wheeling himself out from under it, "Winchester! You're late, Boy!" He grouches as he gets to his feet.

"I know, late night with Lisa," I walk past him to go clock in and he follows me.

"That better not be broken skin, Dean," Bobby says quietly and eyes the slowly fading bite mark on my neck, "I don't want the cops around here, I have OSHA violations everywhere here." I fix my shirt collar to hide the mark better.

"No, Sir. Lisa didn't break the skin, but I will have one hell of a bruise," I answer and slide my punch card through the puncher, "Let's just say I satisfied my Alpha so good last night she almost claimed me." I smirk and walk past Bobby, who rolls his eyes at me, out into the shop, "What do we have today?"

"Crowley and I are workin' on a woman's car. Oil change, a new belt, and something to stop her exhaust pipe from falling off." Crowley straightens up from being bent over the engine of the car Bobby was under when I walked in.

"Dean! Nice of you to show up," Crowley grins and wipes black grease off his forehead, "Singer here has me doing your job, and I'll admit I'm a bit clueless and can't handle any more of the old man's degrading words!" Crowley comes over and slaps a grease caked hand onto my shoulder before pulling me into a hug.

"Well if you could learn an 8/12ths from a 2/12ths I wouldn't have to," Bobby shakes his head and Crowley fakes offense while pulling away.

"I'll have your job for this harassment! I'll shut down this whole place! One call to OSHA and I'll get it off the market!"

"And you'll also get your last ever paycheck if you keep it up!" 

"If you two both weren't Alphas I'd assume you're mates." I shake my head at them and go to take a look under the hood of the car they are working on, "Is this it for today?" I asked picking up where Crowley left off. Crowley saunters to the bathroom and Bobby comes over to help me.

"No, there's a couple of inspections scheduled today, one should be here soon," Bobby checks the wiper fluid level and then the air filter.

"Hey, Bobby," I look over at him, "Cas lost a patient last night and is taking it pretty hard, you think you could give me a little longer for break to bring him lunch?" Bobby stops messing with the filter that needs to be replaced and I can smell the empathy in his whiskey and cedarwood scent.

"How old was he?" Bobby asks looking at me with a serious face. Everyone I knew was constantly worried about me being an Omega and always put themselves in the Alpha's or Beta male's shoes who lost their mate to childbirth.

"He uh... Cas said he was 20." I say quietly. Bobby closes his eyes in remorse and nods.

"Yeah, you can have an hour for break. Tell him I say hi as well and give him a hug."

"Yes, Sir." We return back to work. I could tell Bobby was worried about Castiel, no matter how hard he tried to hide it in his scent. He loved Cas like a son just like he loved me as a son.

Bobby was a friend of the family, he and John, my father, met in the Alpha war overseas in 1960. They never talked about it besides how horrible the Alphas over there were and how bloody the war was. The only detail Bobby and John ever told was how disgusting they treated their Omega and Beta woman, selling them as sex slaves and child incubators. When I was 12 I was curious and searched for more details on the war and the one thing that stuck with me are how the Omega and Beta men were killed off when found, hung from bridges naked with O or B carved into their torso. Knowing those facts caused nightmares which worried my mother, Mary, and she let Castiel sleepover more as he knew how to calm me down. After John died, Bobby and Ellen, his mate, hung around more to help raise Sam and me. I was a pretty rebellious teen and having presented Omega my mom worried about me, especially since Cas presented Alpha. Bobby kept me and Cas in check and Ellen, well, I'm still afraid of that woman. She's not mean, but she could very well kick my ass if provoked, Cas's too.

What I will never understand is why Mom would worry about Castiel and I being so close back then, it wasn't like we were dating. The only thing I would consider weird about our childhood and teen years is how protective Cas was over me. He nearly fought John when I stormed out of my house to walk into his upset about being called nothing but a worthless Omega slut because I always smelled of different Alphas. I couldn't help it if all my friends were Alphas aside from Charlie, who was a Beta. I had to beg Cas to not go over and confront my father, who knows what would have happened or if Cas would still be alive if he tried to challenge the older and stronger Alpha.

By the time Bobby and I got the car all fixed up, it was nearly lunch. I wipe my forehead and flick the sweat off my hand, "Dean, why don't you leave now and go check on the idjit. I'm sure he's beaten himself up thoroughly about losing that kid last night and could use some company instead of mopin' around on his day off." Bobby says as he closes the hood.

"There's still about 20 minutes left 'til lunch, Bobby. I'm sure he can wait." I walk over to the next car and start helping Crowley with the inspection.

"Dean, don't be an idiot! Go check on your Alpha!" Crowley shoos me away toward the office.

"I am not being an idiot, we are slammed today, and for Christ's sake, Cas is NOT my Alpha!" I say as I step into the office. I grab my card to punch out for lunch and walk back into the garage.

"You certainly had me fooled," Crowley smirks, "Cas this, Cas that! Sounds like a little school girl crush!" He ducks as I throw a funnel at him from the shelf next to me.

"Whatever, Crowley. You know it's not like that, besides I don't even have to go check on him-" Bobby raises an eyebrow at me teasingly and I dodge a grease rag Crowley throws at my head, "Alright! I'm going, I'm going! See you later." I laugh as walk out the open garage door and make my way to my first love, "Hey, Baby. Ready to go make Cas's day better?" I ask as I run a hand over her sleek, black hood.

"I swear your relationship with that car gets creepier and creepier as you age, Boy." Bobby shakes his head at me, "You won't lose money after the normal 30 minutes for break is up, you go make sure Cas is okay. I know how hard he takes these types of things." Bobby says seriously. He wasn't wrong. Cas may not take them as hard as his first few childbirth deaths, but he still takes it pretty hard. His first death had him take his paid week vacation early. He blamed himself for what happened and almost quit. He didn't trust himself to be completely alone so he crashed on my couch for a while and had nightmares. I offered him my bed after a particularly bad nightmare that had him sobbing and shaking. He never told me what they were about, but I figured it was about the Omega man he lost on the job. He slept closer to me than all the other times we had shared a bed that night, and when asked he never gave a direct answer.

"Thanks, Bobby, and I will. Nobody knows how to handle him when he loses a patient, not even Meg." I tell him before getting into my car. Bobby nods at me through my window and I nod back before turning the key and heading towards Castiel's home.


	3. 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possible trigger warning:
> 
> Death after childbirth memory recall.

Castiel is nowhere near rich perse, but being an OB/GYN for Omega males gives him a decent salary to afford a decent two-story home with a two-car garage; complete with a nice front yard for playing lawn games with potential pups and a backyard perfect for summer BBQs and pool parties, with a hot tub for the adults at night. It was like it was printed off from a freaking Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

I pull into his driveway and park Baby next to Cas's 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V. It's a damn pimpmobile but he couldn't be any prouder of it. I cut the engine on Baby and climb out, getting startled as Missouri calls out to me in greeting from across the street, "Dean! I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon," She smiles at me as she waters her flowers that line the front of her house.

"You know, Missouri, sometimes I swear you're psychic," I return her greeting and start heading to the brick walkway that leads to the front porch.

"Well, with a funk like that coming off of Castiel and stinking up the entire neighborhood, anybody would know his Omega would swoop in at any minute." There's something behind the old Beta's eyes that I can't place and she smiles in amusement when I cough awkwardly.

"I know you're getting up there in age and all, Missouri, but I would hope you'd remember all the times Cas and I have told you we are just really close childhood friends!" I sputter. I really don't understand why people always think Cas and I are more than that. No matter how many times we both explain to people, they have this undying urge to tease and poke fun. Bobby, Ellen, Mom. The list goes on.

"Well, you could have fooled me with the way you two act, Dean Winchester." She turns back to her flowerbed and starts watering them again. I shake my head and make my way up the brick path, trying to ignore the sour self-blaming and emotionally wrecked scent of Alpha that gets more and more intense as I get closer to the front door.

"Dean?" Cas calls out when he hears me open and close the door. His voice was wrecked from crying.

"Yeah, it's me," I answer as I shuck off my boots and walk to the living room where his voice came from. Castiel is lying curled up on his couch wrapped in the soft grey blanket I got him last Christmas. He looks up at me with puffy red eyes and rubbed raw nostrils when I approach the back of the couch, "That's not very Alpha like, Cas." I tease him and he rolls his eyes at me, sitting up to make room for me to sit down.

"I'm sorry I don't fit your overly masculine stereotype of an Alpha male, Dean." He wipes at his runny nose and sniffs.

"It's not my fault my daddy was a toxic Alpha and that stereotype is all I know," I punch him lightly on the shoulder, "'Sides, it's been an unhealthy amount of hours for you to be beating yourself up." I prop my feet up on the coffee table and cross my arms over my chest. I remember putting this thing together, IKEA nearly broke our friendship. He thought I had hidden the last remaining screw and tackled me to the ground trying to search me for it. Meg, his girlfriend, had shaken her head at us and teased us how if she hadn't known better she would have assumed it was a mate play-fight before going to phone up the store and report the missing screw.

"Perhaps you're right..." Castiel sighs and swats my feet off the table, "But I still feel like there's more I could have done to save him. There was just so much blood, _so much blood,_ and I couldn't get it to stop." Tears threaten to spill over as he looks at me, "There was just a single happy moment. He was handed his pup and was crying with his mate, it was so happy... Such a tender moment..." The tears finally spill without him blinking and he wipes at them, "They were so happy, Dean. And then everything went to shit so fast!" He falls into me with a broken sob and I wrap my arms around him, "I couldn't get the bleeding to sto-stop!" I hush him and rub circles into his back.

"I know, Cas. But there was nothing more you could have done for him. Knowing you, you gave your hardest and that's all anybody could have ever asked for." He shakes in my arms as he cries and I hold him tight.

"I tried so hard, Dean. Every tactic, every option I learned. I couldn't save him." I know he just needs somebody to vent to and get it all out of his system without any judgment or anybody seeing this from a professional standpoint. He continues to cry and babble about what happened. He hyperventilates at some points and I have to remind him to breathe easily, "This is why I'm so glad you're with Lisa and plan to spend your life with her in the future," He takes in a shuttery breath before continuing, "I don't know what I would ever do if you were to pass during or after childbirth, especially not when it's just me and two other people who specify in Omega male births in this town's hospital." As much as I love my best friend, I always resented it when he said things like this. I'm glad my scent blockers are strong so he can't smell my annoyance. My friends and my family are always so nervous at the thought of me falling pregnant with some Alpha male if Lisa and I don't work out. It isn't like I don't understand their concerns, because I do. They all care about me and love me. Given the fact that I am an Omega where there is so little research on Omega male births that it's often dangerous, they have every right to be worried about me. I just wish they would stop expressing it so much.

"I know, Cas. I'm glad too, it keeps you from being such a big ol' sap!" He glares at me as I tease him, but at least he's done crying for the time being.

"Don't you have to get back to work soon?" He says annoyed. I look at the clock above the big flat-screen T.V, and grin.

"Not for another 40 minutes. Bobby gave me an hour so you're stuck with me, pouty pants." I let him go as he pulls away and slaps my chest, "What do you want for lunch? Knowing you for as long as I have, I know for a fact you haven't eaten anything today." I get my phone from my pocket and ignore the teasing texts from Bobby asking how my mate is. _Bastard._ I think to myself.

"I could go for some of Ellen's famous burgers," Castiel sighs and rubs his eyes. I nod in agreement and look through my contacts for the Road House's number.

"Dean," Jo, Ellen's daughter, picks up.

"Hey, Jo. Cas and I wanna put in an order. The usual, but make mine with extra bacon."

"You're getting old, Dean. You really should be watching what you eat or it'll get you in your golden days."

"What are you, my mother?"

"No, but you know damn well mine would agree." I can practically hear her cocky smirk.

"Whatever. And just for that, I'm getting a slice Ash's pie. Stoners know how to cook!" She sighs and tells me that our order will be done shortly and to come on down before hanging up. I put my phone away and stand up, dragging Cas with me, "C'mon, you need a shower. You stink." I tell him when he groans in protest.

"I don't want to!" He goes boneless and flops into me.

"Cas, burgers, and, _pie_ are awaiting our arrival soon! There is no time for this! You are almost 32, start acting like it!" I start dragging him to the other end of his house to get to the stairs, "You ain't gonna like it if I drag you up these stairs. I'll take you feet first!" He raises his brow at me.

"You wouldn't!" He just barely catches himself as I drop him and go for his feet, "DEAN!"

"I wasn't joking. Get your stank ass in the shower!" I shove him towards the stairs, "And wear something pretty! We're going to the spot to eat, you need to get out of the house and get some fresh air!"

**_*****_ **

"Well if it ain't my favorite Alpha and Omega!" Ellen greets us as while she busts a table, "Wow, Cas. No offense, Hunny, but you look like shit."

"Wow, thanks, Ellen." Castiel shakes his head at her, "I... Well, you know how my line of work goes sometimes." He looks at her sadly and her smile fades.

"Oh, Cas. I am so sorry. I should have known-"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine now, at least." Ellen takes us to the back to pick up our food, and we ignore the new and confused eyes on us as they watch us slip through the swinging doors.

"How old was this one?" Ellen asks quietly as she sets her tub of dirty dishes down and begins scraping the leftover food into the trash.

"Just out of pup years," Castiel looks at the floor when his voice breaks. Ellen stops scraping the plate she has in her hand and swallows thickly.

"That's too damn young." She says, her voice barely above a whisper. She sets the plate back into her tub and walks over to us, taking Castiel into her arms, "Oh, Cas. I'm so sorry you lost a patient, Hunny." I can hear Cas sniff wetly as he slowly hugs Ellen back, burying his face into her shoulder and scenting her like a kid. I reach out and place my hand on his lower back in comfort and make eye contact with Jo as she comes out of the walk-in refrigerator.

"I know it's more than likely none of my business, but what did I walk in to?" She says after clearing her throat and setting the few big carrots on the counter next to her.

"He lost a patient, he was only 20." I clue Jo in and her face drops. Cas pulls away and Ellen wipes at his eyes for him, "Bobby gave me an hour for lunch to help cheer this mopey sack of bones up, so we're going to grab our order and be on our way."

"Oh, so you're finally going to go steady?" Jo teases to keep the topic off of Cas's loss. I drop my hand from his back to point at her.

"You are gonna shut the hell up and give me a _whole_ pie now for compensation of a rude employee. I am a paying client after all." Castiel smacks my stomach with the back of his hand and I look at him while rubbing my stomach.

"You don't need a whole pie, Dean. You need to stop eating so much junk before you close up your arteries!" Cas scolds.

"It's just pie, Cas!" I hold up my hands in defense and Ellen and Jo snort as they return back to work.

"Have you ever seen Ash make his pie, Dean Winchester?" Jo questions as she rinses a carrot in the sink, "Eating a whole pie of his could very well take 10 years off your life!"

"A risk I'm willing to take!" I grin and everyone groans. Jo shakes the excess water off the carrot and goes to the front line to grab our order.

"Well, how about an IOU, Dean? Ash hasn't come down to restock his pies yet and you snagged the last slice." Ellen brings her now empty, dirty plates, cups, and silverware to the dish pit and loads them into a blue, perforated, plastic tray before sending them through the dishwasher.

"I suppose, as long as I get one fresh out." Jo comes back and hands Cas and I the brown take-out bags our lunch is in.

"Enjoy your date, loverboys!" Jo smirks before she turns and walks back over to the sink to resume rinsing her carrots.

"Oh, we will! Right, Huggy Bear?" I wrap my arm around Cas's waist and pull him towards the door.

"So after all these years, you two _finally_ admit it, huh?" Jo challenges as I push open the swing-door.

"What'd you think we always did when we snuck off to the place only we know of?" I shoot back and Castiel elbows me in the ribs.

"Would you two knock it off?" Ellen calls as she opens the dishwasher and slides the tray out, "Dean, you won't have much time left if you keep bickering with Jo, and Jo, you're behind on today's soup! Get going, the both of you!" Ellen was right, I only had a bit more than a half-hour left of my extended lunch, thanks to somebody for taking a long ass shower. I intended to spend the rest of it cheering that someone up with lunch in the security of the small field with a cold brook running on the outside of it.

"Yes, Ellen. I'll see you Sunday at Mom's for dinner." I let go of Cas to wave behind me as we walk through the door, "Later, Aaron!" I call at one of the waiters. He waves at me and turns back to the family with young kids to take their order. Cas and I make our way out the door and to my car, setting our lunch down in the middle of the leather bench seat between us.

"To our spot?" Cas asks as he settles in his seat and buckles in.

"To our spot." I turn the key and Baby purrs to life.

It isn't like people _don't_ know where our spot is. There's a tall grass path that's pushed down and flattened from others walking on it all the time, and the field itself is mostly pushed down tall grass from all the blankets and people walking on it. I feel nervous every time I have to park my car on the side of the road because the path isn't wide enough to drive through, not to mention the path has some narrow passing spots from trees being so close together. Cas carries the blanket I keep in the trunk, "Dean! watch your step!" Cas catches me by the arm as I trip over a root and nearly fall on my face.

"It wasn't there last time! I know all the roots and rocks going down this path," I say as I steady myself and try to play it cool before we continue walking down the path. We have about 20 minutes left for lunch now and I am in a hurry to get to the field and eat.

"The Earth changes all the time, Dean. Be more careful, please." Cas doesn't let go of my arm until we get to the field. He spreads the blanket out and we sit on it and get settled before I pass out the burgers and fries, setting my pie aside for later. I pick up my burger and bite into it, closing my eyes at the perfect blend of spices and the sweet and bitter of mustard and ketchup mixing together. I hum at the tender but mighty crunch of the bacon and lettuce and hear Cas scoff, "Do you always have to take the first bite of a burger so pornographically?" I open my eyes to look at him as I chew and swallow.

"Could be worse." I shrug and take another bite, this time moaning loudly and doing my best to imitate a pornstar, "Could be like that!" I say with a mouth full as Cas glares at me playfully.

"That's so unnecessary, Dean Winchester!" Castiel tries to hide a laugh, "Besides, you are doing it wrong," He licks the bits of crumbly bacon off his bottom lip before biting into his burger slowly and more sensually than he should have and making the lewdest moan that could make a Nun drop her panties and present on the spot. I feel the heat rise in my chest and I fight to keep it from spreading up and onto my cheeks.

"Cas, buddy, what the hell!" I choke on my bite as the Omega in me stirs and throws me off guard. The Omega part of me hasn't reacted to Cas since my first heat in my junior year of high school before I was put on heat suppressants. Man, was that a day. After gym class in the shower room. It hit so suddenly it knocked all the air from my lungs while Cas showered next to me. My knees buckled and I crashed to the tile floor onto them, putting me eye-level to Cas's fairly big dick. An involuntary moan had escaped as I reached for his thigh for help, and, had called his name in an embarrassingly begging way. Cas had gasped when he heard me and felt my hand on his thigh. The Alphas in the room scented the steamed up air that magnified my heat scent and their eyes flashed red as they all turned to look at me. That's when the slick started. Castiel started breathing through his mouth like he was taught by his parents and had growled at the other Alphas to back the fuck up and not touch me. It was embarrassing, being protected by my best friend as he fought off the others while everyone was aroused. Including him. I kneeled there helpless and dripping and moaning as I fought not to touch myself out of instinct. The loud growling and snarling had echoed all around me and I had shut my eyes and tried to focus on the sound of the showers and water hitting the tiles. The door had burst open minutes later. Several Beta male teachers and the Alpha male gym teacher came rushing in. I was scooped up off of the tiles and buried in towels and special heat blankets before being rushed out of the room. I was miserable and lonely the whole week of my first heat. When it was finally over and I got to see Cas again, his face was badly bruised and he had scratches and bite marks scattered across his body.

"Ah ah ah, if you can't handle it then don't dish it." He talks through his mouth full and smirks at me.

"Okay, yeah, but that was almost too real sounding!" I shake my head at him and take another bite of my burger.

"Well, maybe you are right," He sighs and takes another bite. We sit in a comfortable silence after that as we eat. I reach for my pie and Castiel stops me with a hand on my wrist.

"What, do you want some or something?" I ask looking up to meet his eyes. He looks at me pleadingly and I frown, "But it's my pie!"

"Yeah, and I'm having and rough day, or don't you remember?" He lifts his eyebrow at me in challenge.

"I'm starting to think you're now using that as an excuse to get what you want, Castiel." I rise to the challenge.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugs, "Depends on if I can have some of Ash's pie." In one smooth motion, he shoves my arm away and takes my pie, getting up with it and running.

"CASTIEL!" I yell after him and spring to my feet, "YOU ASSHOLE, GET BACK HERE WITH MY PIE!" I chase after him across the field and his laughter echos through the woods. Maybe they all were right about all the junk I eat because trying to keep up with him is harder than I remember.

"Sharing is caring, Dean!" He complains once I catch him and rescue my pie from his clutches. I hold it above his head and stand on my toes and laugh as he struggles to just barely reach it.

"Maybe I don't care," I grin at him and he pouts before tackling me and knocking us both to the ground, the pie miraculously surviving the fall.

"That's a damn lie and you know it!" He pins me and reaches for the pie.

"Oh, alright! Fine! I'll share." I shove him off me and sit up, looking down at him and he grins up at me before sitting up. We get up and walk back to our blanket to sit down and dig into the pie.

"I don't know how Ash does it, but he really does make the best apple pie," Castiel says before laying down on his back with an arm tucked behind his shoulder. I toss the now empty pie container and two plastic spoons either Ellen or Jo had packed into the paper bag with all the other garbage and lay next to him, looking up at the sky.

"He sure does, doesn't he?" I agree and let out a sigh. There were only a few minutes left of my break and I knew that I'd be late getting back. "So, are you all good now? Was my mission to cheer you up successful?"

"I'd count it as successful, Dean. Thank you," He looks at me and I turn my head to look at him, "I truly wouldn't know what to do without a best friend like you, Dean." He smiles fondly at me, "I just wish we had more time to stay here," Cas sighs, "It's a lovely day to splash around in that brook."

"It sure is, pal." I agree, "We should get going. I'm gonna be late for work... Again."

"I'd ask why you were late for work before, but that nasty bruise on your neck is very telling." Castiel sits up and looks down at me, "Any harder and you two would be in very serious legal trouble, that bruising is almost mating bite bruising." I sit up and rub at Lisa's bruise.

"I know, Cas. I'm not stupid." I tell him as I drop my hand from my neck and stand up, offering him my hand to help him, "And I know we technically broke some law by seeing each other during her rut, but she needed me!" I pull him up onto his feet and we start picking up our mess.

"Oh, Dean. You really do make the perfect little Omega, don't you?" He snickers and I roll my eyes at him and grab the opposite corners of the blanket to help him fold it.

"Oh can it, Cas." I try to sound serious but it fails. Once we get the blanket folded, I take the trash and we make our way out of the field, "Lisa is going to be home late tonight, you want to come over and have dinner?"

"You're still worried about me, aren't you?" He questions. He wasn't wrong. The hour we have spent together was fun, but I was still worried it wasn't enough and that when I left for work he would beat himself up again. It has happened before.

"You got me." I avoid the root I tripped over coming in and we make our way out of the woods to my car.

"Well, Meg has a late shift at the office tonight, so I suppose I could." He puts the blanket back into the trunk and I climb into my seat and put our garbage on the back seat.

"Alright. Depending on how late I am getting back, I should be out of work around 4:30." I say as he gets in and shuts the door, "I'll pick you up." I turn the key and turn Baby around to head back towards Castiel's house.

"Sounds great, Dean." Castiel smiles and looks out his window as I turn the music on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have written and rewritten the first part of this chapter three times. Nobody better say writing is easy, I swear!
> 
> In all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> (Shout out to my best friend Wayward_Assassin for reading over some of it and giving me validation that it's good so I could write with an easy mind and finish the chapter <3)


	4. 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Not important to the story, but, it's important to me.*
> 
> It's been longer than I wanted to originally post this, but with current events going on, I had to do something. I had to go out and protest to lift the voices of my friends and coworkers. My fellow Americans. Their voices need to be heard. Their voices need to be amplified.
> 
> The world needs change, the USA needs change. Black lives are in danger and that needs to change, and NOW. 
> 
> I may not be black, but I see you. I may not be black, but I hear you. I may not be black, but I mourn with you. I may not be black, but I will fight beside you. It's time we take action and rise up against police brutality, against the murder done by the police. Times are hard, it's getting scary, but together we can make it through this and change the system to make it safe for everyone.
> 
> BLACK. LIVES. MATTER.

Work had seemed to drag on as time ticked by slowly. Bobby had dragged me into his office to ask how Castiel was and he was relieved that he had snapped out of his funk so quickly. Crowley and I had our friendly banter and teasing. He teased me about having happy Alpha smell all over me from Cas and insisted there just "Must be something you two are hiding". Bobby told us both to knock the bickering off and get to finishing up the inspection we were doing. The car failed. 

I turn down the music as I approach Castiel's house and smile when I see him already outside waiting for me, "It's about time you've arrived. I thought you forgot about me!" He says as he gets in. I pull away from the curb and head towards my and Lisa's apartment. 

"I'm only three minutes late, Cas. Don't get your panties in a twist!" Castiel chuckles and reaches to turn the volume of the music up just a little.

"So, what did you have in mind?" He asks as he settles in his seat. I hadn't really planned anything to cook, we needed to get groceries so there wasn't much to work with either.

"I, uh, well," I try to think of a place to order from. I know Castiel had a sweet spot for Chinese takeout, but what if he wasn't in the mood for it? It was worth a try, "What if we put in an order for that Chinese place you like?" Castiel thinks for a second and nods.

"Yeah, I could go for some Dim Sum, unless you don't want Chinese." Always so thoughtful. Even when we were kids, Cas had always put my wants before his own. Especially after our Alpha and Omega woke up and made our secondish puberty hell.

"I wouldn't mind some Orange Chicken myself," We stop at a red light and Castiel looks at me.

"Should I call it in now so we can pick it up on our way to your home or should we wait?" I really wasn't hungry just yet, still full from lunch and that damn pie Ash makes.

"I could wait. Still full from lunch." I shrug and he nods as the light turns green and we take a turn.

"I'm glad you said that, Dean. I swear I'm still digesting Ash's pie," He chuckles and rubs his belly. Without entirely meaning to I scent the air, taking in the smell of Cas's neutral cinnamon scent with just a hint of Meg's spicey ginger scent. They complimented each other well. Scent bonding wasn't something rare, every pairing of Alpha and Omega and Beta alike did it over a period of time. What was rare about it, though, was when true mates scent bonded. The scent bond is strong and made for each other, much like my parents'. John's earthly smell and Mom's just-before-it-rains smell is something I really miss from my childhood. 

"I'm telling you, if he took the time to get through college, Ash would be the best pastry chef around Lawrence!" Castiel hums in agreement.

"And with Gabe's partially famous bakery, he would have a job for life. Gabe would kill for a pastry baker like Ash in his shop," Castiel smiles while talking about his older brother. Gabriel's bakery was one of the best in Kansas, a five-star worthy if you asked anybody. From homemade gingerbread houses and kits to homemade ice cream and cones, it was a hotspot all year round.

"How is Gabriel?" I glance over at Cas as I ask him. Cas shakes his head and sighs out a laugh.

"The usual. Nothing changes with him," Castiel watches the woman and small boy cross the street as we stop to let them walk in the crosswalk, "If he isn't with Kali, he's with somebody else. You know them, they're always off and on again."

"It's because they're too much alike," I laugh a little, "They're both stubborn as all hell and both of them love to be right, even when they know they're wrong."

"I think it's because Gabe is too childish." Castiel rolls his eyes with a fond smile, "Always pulling pranks and taking nothing seriously." We both laugh in agreement before I pull into the apartment parking and park Baby in her spot. There are no reserved parking spots, but it's an unwritten rule that where we park is our spot until we move out.

"Age before beauty," I say as I hold open the apartment building door. Cas shoves me and walks in and I tail after him, pushing the elevator call button as we get to it.

"Sup, bitches!" A familiar voice calls out. Cas and I turn with smiles to greet Charlie.

"Hey, Charlie! What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Hello, Charlie. I haven't seen you in a while." Castiel greets her.

"I'm on a date," Charlie wiggles her eyebrows, "And she's like, the hottest Alpha I've ever seen!" Charlie swoons. Being a Beta, her scent wasn't as strong compared to mine or Cas's, but I could still smell the joy on her, with a hint of lust in her sweet orange blossom honey scent. 

"Well, if something goes wrong, Cas and I are having dinner later, getting food from that Chinese place just around the block. Join us if you want." The elevator door opens and Charlie gives both of us a hug before we step on.

"Even if it something goes right I may just take your offer up," She smiles and waves as the door closes. The elevator creaks and wobbles as it rises. I hate taking it, but I was tired from lunch and work. I normally take the stairs, but I don't want to make Castiel walk up five flights and to the end of a hallway. He had been working 70 hours or more, he had to be exhausted. 

"So, Lisa is working late tonight?" Castiel asks as the elevator slowly dings floor after floor.

"Yeah, because of her heat she's behind on paperwork so she's staying late to grade," I shrug nonchalantly. The door opens after the fifth ding and we step out to walk to my apartment, "Having three classes of 20 students, papers tend to pile up, especially writing assignments. You know how she likes to stay on top of things," We reach the end of the hallway and I take out my keys and unlock my door.

"Being a teacher sounds hard," Castiel ponders as I open the door. We both walk in and head to the living room after kicking off our shoes.

"She manages well," I sit on the couch and Castiel plops down next to me with a sigh, "Tired?"

"It's... Been a long day, Dean." He closes his eyes and rests his head on the back of the couch, "I've only slept about 3 hours in the past 19." He lets out a big yawn, "Two of which happened after you dropped me off from lunch."

"You know, it's only five. If you wanna catch another hour or two you can crash in my-" I totally forgot to open the windows in my room to air it out, "Actually, you may just have to crash on the couch. I forgot to open the windows in my bedroom," I grunt as I get up with stiff knees to grab a spare blanket and pillow from the hall closet and hand them to Cas before going to my room and opening the windows. I breathe through my mouth to avoid the stale smell of rut and slick as I open the big windows. I had Cas over, I couldn't spare a single breath of stale rut. The scent is still effective, but not as bad as the fresh pheromones. Couldn't risk popping a boner around Cas, it'd be embarrassing.

"Thank you for the blanket, Dean," Castiel says as I sit back down on the couch. He lays himself out and rests his head and pillow on the arm of the couch, adjusting and readjusting.

"You alright, Cas?" I ask as I grab the remote off the coffee table and turn the T.V. on.

"Just trying to get in the right position," He grunts softly as he readjusts again. I turn the channel over to an old car show, marveling at the sweet  
Studebaker 1929 President Eight Roadster.

"You could always lean on me, Cas. I don't mind," He thinks for a second before positioning himself so that his head and pillow are in my lap, "Better?"

"Much. Thank you again, Dean," I ruffle his hair and he buries his head deeper into the pillow before closing his eyes.

"Alright, buddy. I'll wake you up when I'm ready to eat." I prop my legs up onto the coffee table and settle into the couch with my hands behind my head. It wasn't long before I started to hear Cas's light snores and I yawn myself. A nap didn't sound like a bad idea. I rest my eyes and sigh, thinking over the day.

*********

"Dean?" I open my eyes to see Cas hovering above me and pushing food into my hands before he comes around to sit on the couch, "I woke up before you did. It's almost eight." I set the food in my lap and rub my eyes. I guess I was more tired than I had thought. Castiel hums as he takes a bite of his food, "I hope you don't mind that I ordered and paid for dinner." He says around a mouthful.

"No. I didn't wake you with my snoring, did I?" I open the takeout box he handed me, my mouth watering at the sweet and spicy smell of Orange Chicken.

"Oh, totally. I think the whole building heard you sawing logs, Dean," Castiel tries to hide his smile around another bite. I glare at him and stick out my tongue before reaching to the chopsticks Cas left on the coffee table.

"Should I expect noise complaints in the mail then?" I ask jokingly around my bite of food. Castiel laughs and nods.

"Yeah, I suspect your mailbox will be overstuffed with angry letters about your godawful snoring!" We both laugh and hear a knock at the door, "Somebody must not have wanted to write an angry letter," I get up and set my food on the kitchen counter as I go to answer the door. I look through the peephole and see Charlie waiting outside of it with a blond girl I've seen around the lobby and parking garage a few times.

"Charlie!" I greet her with a grin and pull her in for a hug, "And you must be the hottest Alpha she has ever seen!" Charlie elbows me in the ribs as I let her go and turns red as I greet her friend.

"I'm Alice," She says as she holds out her hand. I take it and shake hands with her.

"Dean." I introduce myself. She was a smaller Alpha than most Alpha females. She had blue eyes, but they weren't as blue as Cas's. Her hair was a short pixie cut partially hidden by a grey beanie cap that matched her dark array of clothing.

"Nice to meet you, Dean." She says and looks at Charlie.

"Deano and I have been friends since the first grade, Alice," Charlie explains. I step out of the doorway to gesture they are welcome inside and Charlie leads Alice in and I close the door behind us.

"Charlie," Castiel gets up to greet Charlie and Alice, putting his food next to mine on the kitchen counter, "I didn't know what to get your friend, but I did order you your favorite!" He opens the fridge and pulls out two styrofoam take out boxes, "Shouldn't be too chilled, it was only in the fridge for a couple of minutes." Charlie takes the boxes from his hands and passes one to Alice.

"Thanks, Cas," Charlie says as she opens the box and walks over to where I keep the silverware, "This is Alice, by the way."

"Hello," Alice says as she reaches out to shake hands with Castiel, "I've heard so much about you both,"

"All good I hope," Castiel looks at Charlie with a raised brow. Charlie chuckles and passes a fork to Alice.

"Nah, all the embarrassing shit from our school years!" Charlie grins at us and I laugh seeing through her lies.

"Charlie actually told me all nice things about you, no need to worry." Castiel visibly relaxes, he could never pick up on Charlie's jokes. It's kind of cute how serious he takes them sometimes, "I have to hand it to you, Castiel. Being an OB/GYN for Omega males is incredibly brave. I know how hard it can be due to the little research on them from being so rare." Castiel bows his head with a small smile, "Especially since Charlie here told me your interest in the profession peaked when Dean, well, you know," Castiel looks at me with a small blush and smiles.

"Well, I can't just let my best friend die on me should he have fallen for an Alpha male." Castiel picks up his dinner and takes a small bite before passing me mine, "I'm just glad he found his Alpha girlfriend, Lisa," Alice glances at Charlie as she takes a small bite of vegetable Lo Mein.

"You mean..." She glances back at us and swallows her bite of food, "You two _aren't_ mates?" I choke on the chicken that I inhale at her question and Castiel rolls his eyes.

"No, Alice. Dean and I are just childhood best friends," Castiel explains as he pats my back to help ease my coughing, "I am aware you may smell a scent bond on me, and while Dean has aired out his apartment and neutralized the smell, along with wearing his scent blockers for work, my bond is with my Omega, Megan." Alice blushes harshly and swallows.

"I am so sorry! I shouldn't have assumed- it's just that you two are incredibly close- and with the stories Charlie has told me-" Alice babbles and I laugh as I catch my breath.

"No, it's okay, Alice. You didn't know!" I assure her, "Besides, we get this all the time. No big deal," I lead everyone into the living room. I sit back in my seat on the couch, Castiel sitting next to me as Charlie plops down on the other end of the couch, and Alice places herself neatly in Lisa's reading chair. We eat our food in a semi-awkward silence until Castiel breaks it.

"So, how did you and Charlie meet?" Castiel asks after he swallows his last bite. He sets the empty takeout box in his lap and looks expectantly at Alice. 

"Well, with the new age of technology," She begins before laughing lightly, "Nah, I'm only kidding. She was cute in her waitress outfit last week and I left my number on top of her tip-"

"Sixty dollar tip," Charlie cuts her off as she puts per hand on Cas's arm and looks at us with a huge grin, "How could I not text the hottest Alpha in my lifetime that paid my phone service bill in a _tip,_ "

"What can I say? I came for dinner and got a show," Alice smirks and Charlie blushes as she leans back in her seat, "I'd like to personally thank whoever said black jeans are a must for work, and I'd love to thank whoever invented skintight jeans," Charlie hides her face in Cas's shoulder as her blush deepens, "Anyway, at around midnight I get a text from her and we ended up talking for a couple hours and agreed to coffee later that day." I look over Castiel at Charlie and glare.

"And you didn't tell me?" I point at her as I set my empty box on the coffee table, "You sonnova bitch! How could you not tell me!" Charlie leans forward to look at me with a shrug.

"I didn't want to say anything until I knew it was serious. And it is, that's why we're here, dummy!" Charlie grins at me. I scoff, trying to hide my joy for her. Charlie had put off dating since her ex-fiancee Omega, Gilda, left her for an Alpha named Dorthy who lived across the country. It had really hurt her and she swore off dating completely.

"It's serious alright. Lost my damn breath when I saw her," Alice says quietly, "Now, I know it's damn near impossible to find a true mate, but fuck if she ain't the one!" Alice says and covers her mouth, "Excuse my language," She apologizes and sets the rest of her food onto the small table next to her, "I've never felt so strongly about anybody in my life before! We've known each other for all but a week and it's like we've known each other our whole lives!" 

"Wow, I- That's big!" I can't wipe off the huge grin on my face as I look between them both. Castiel pulls Charlie into him and hugs her tightly.

"This is truly incredible," He sets his empty box on the coffee table and gets up to pull Alice up into a hug, making her yelp in surprise, "We should celebrate. A moment like this, this announcement," He pulls me up by my wrist too quickly and I lose my balance and fall into his chest, "Everybody, gather your things, drinks will be on me!" He declares as he helps me steady myself.

"Cas, you can't just buy everyone drinks because I found a true mate!" Charlie stands up and shakes her head, "That's crazy!"

"Maybe so, but it's free drinks, Charles. Nobody in their right mind can turn that down," I grin at her and start gathering the trash to take to the kitchen garbage.

"C'mon, Charlie! I've had a rough day, I need something to celebrate," Castiel comes to help me with the trash, holding down the bin so I can lift it out, "And what is better than celebrating true mates? Something so rare that some think it's a myth!" I tie up the bag after all the garbage is taken care of and set it by the door to take out to the trash shoot when we leave, "So, what do you say?" He turns to the girls and bats his eyes while putting on his best pouty face.

"Free drinks!" I whisper loudly from behind him. Alice and Charlie smile and shake their heads.

"Alright. A few drinks." Charlie sighs. The door opens and we all turn to see Lisa walking through the door with heavy feet. She looked worn out.

"Baby, I said you could order takeout, not throw a party!" She huffs as she sets down her bag full of books, notes, and papers to grade on the counter. She comes over and wraps her arms around me before kissing my cheek.

"Hey, Babe," I kiss her forehead and hug her back, "We were just heading out to celebrate Alice," I gesture with my head, "And Charlie. True mates! Can you believe it?" A shocked and delighted smile spreads across Lisa's lips.

"Wow, that's amazing!" She let's go to give Charlie a bear hug with a small sequel, "I'm so happy for you, both of you!" She let's go of Charlie to bring Alice into a bear hug as well.

"So, Lis, what do you say? A couple of drinks with us?" I ask as she let's go of Alice. She turns to us she tries to hide a yawn.

"Not tonight, guys. I'm still recovering from sleepless nights caused by my rut. It was a night longer than usual. I also still have a few more papers to grade." She smiles tiredly at us and we nod in understanding. I step forward to wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head.

"It's alright, Lis, another time!" I feel her smile against my neck as she kisses the bruise she left on it before pulling away to grab papers out of her bag she put on the counter.

"Alright, you all have fun," Lisa says as we all shuffle toward the door and I grab the garbage bag. Castiel opens the door and leads the girls out, "Dean, please don't drink too much, I want you home safe," Lisa stops me as I try to follow everyone out to the hallway, "And if you do, you have Cas drive you home. I know he isn't big on drinking." 

"Yes, Dear," I roll my eyes with a fond smile but she doesn't let me go just yet, "What?"

"If worse comes to worst, and Castiel cannot drive, I want you to call me, alright? I want you safe, Dean. I want both of you safe. Charlie and her true mate as well. No drunk driving!" She pulls me in as her eyes flash red and kisses me possessively, nipping on my lip for good measure and causing me to groan just as the door opens.

"Dean-" Cas had come back to check on me, "Alright. Whenever you're ready." I could hear the blush in his vioce as the door closes quickly and Lisa pulls away slightly to look at me.

"I love you so much, Dean," She kisses a bruise onto my scent gland and I fight the heat stirring in my belly and screw my eyes shut, "So please, come home safe." I instinctively bare my neck to her and whimper as she sucks another claiming bruise on my gland. I will never admit it out loud how much an Alpha's possessiveness turns me on, or how crazy with lust Lisa can make me when she does it. I was so thankful for the military-grade scent blockers Bobby gives me to protect myself; bless that old man and his many many many years of service.

"I love you too, Lisa. I'll be safe, we'll be safe. I promise." I sigh as she steps away from me, leaving my head swimming and swirling with lust. She goes to our bedroom with papers in hand and I have to steel myself for a moment before I open the door and step out into the hall, seeing Cas and Charlie leaning against the wall chatting away with Alice nodding along to the conversation.

"Oh, so he's _finally_ ready for drinks!" Cas smirks as he turns around to look me up and down. I grin like an idiot as everyone's eyes come to rest on the fresh bruises on my neck.

"You said whenever I was ready!" I hold my hands up in defense as I approach my friends, "And when my Alpha is marking me up, I'm not ready to leave until she's done," Castiel flings his arm around my shoulders and leads us to the elevator, stopping at the trash shoot so I can toss the bag down it.

"Good little Omega you are, Dean Winchester," He shakes his head with a dumb grin on his face and pushes me into the elevator when the doors slide open.

"Isn't he?" Alice says in a teasing tone, "If I was into men and hadn't found Charlie first," Alice makes an overdramatic movement of looking me up and down, "Well, I'd go for it, Alpha girlfriend or not," She pulls Charlie in by the waist and kisses her temple as Castiel chuckles along with her.

"Shut up!" I mumble and rub the back of my neck as I try to keep from letting the blush rise from the base of my neck to my cheeks. Charlie ruffles my hair as the doors open again and we walk out to the lobby and to the car park.

"Awe, Dean, it's okay to be the textbook definition of the rare Omega male," Charlie smirks as we make our way quickly to my car. I pout at her and point.

"Shut your face, get in the car!" She snickers as she gets in the back. Castiel climbs in at the same time I do and Alice takes a moment to admire Baby before getting in next to Charlie. 

"Wow, Dean. I've always admired this car when I saw it parked here, but I never knew it was yours. Great taste." Alice looks at me in the rearview mirror with an impressed look on her face. Castiel groans in the passenger seat next to me and shakes his head.

"Do not get him started on the car!" He begs, "He can go on for days at a time, months even, about his precious _Baby_." I turn the key with a grin and peel out of the car park towards the nearest bar as I tell Alice about Baby, Castiel mouthing every word he has heard thousands of times over. I saw her sitting in a junk pile at Bobby's shop as a teen and I had asked about her, wanting to get on John's good side for once and prove that I wasn't a worthless Omega. She was nothing but a pile of rust, holes, and scraps, complete with bent and dented rims and chassis. Bobby said she was way beyond repair and wasn't worth the time and money, but I saw her worth. Every paycheck I got went into restoring her, buying second-hand parts, buying sheet metal for patchwork, paint, everything. I built her from the ground up, I put my blood, sweat, and tears into restoring her. John wasn't impressed because no other Omega did things like this. Bobby was impressed, though, beyond impressed, and talked me into going for a master's degree in mechanics. He even paid for my tuition.

"Wow," Alice looks at me as we park close to the door of the bar, "That- wow!"

"Yeah, this car is my pride and joy!" I pat the dashboard before turning off the engine, "My brother, Sam, helped here and there, and Castiel mostly just kept me company while I worked on her, no matter how hard I tried to get him to get his hands dirty," I get out and lock the door, signaling for everyone to do the same. I'd lose my mind if Baby got stolen.

"Cars are not my forte, Dean," Castiel says as he clambers out and locks his door, Charlie and Alice following our move.

"Not so Alpha of you," I tisk teasingly. Castiel bares his teeth playfully, shiny and bright white. 

"And it's not so Omega of you to know so much about cars, Dean Winchester!" He shoves my shoulder as we walk side by side flanked by Alice and Charlie on either side of us. 

"Oh, get a room you two!" Charlie calls as she shakes her head. Castiel holds the door open for all of us and I let the girls go first.

"Maybe we will, Charles, there is a small motel just a block down from here!" Castiel slaps me gently upside the head as we walk in.

"Behave yourself, Dean," He says seriously but smiles with his eyes.

"Since when do I ever behave, Cas?" I raise a brow at him with a cheeky grin and he tries not to smile but it fails.

"Are you two sure you're not mates?" Alice asks as we get up to the bar. Since it's a weekday the bar is fairly empty by now. Only a few older Beta males occupy space at the bar at the ends, chatting loudly and laughing drunkenly at their lame jokes. I sit on the stool next to Cas and Charlie sits next to me as Alice stands behind her with her hands on Charlie's shoulders as we wait to place our first round of drinks. 

"They do this all the time, Alice. It's shocking they're not." Charlie answers and picks at the wood of the bar island top, "I still say they're secretly dating and have been since Dean's first heat in high school." Charlie says with a teasing smirk as she rests her chin in her hand innocently. I elbow her with a harsh blush and feel Alice's eyes on me. Charlie is most definitely the little sister I never had nor wanted in moments like these. Castiel brushes his knee against mine in comfort and that's when I realize my scent blockers are starting to wear off. It's not strong by any means, no Beta could smell it as their sense of smell isn't as strong compared to an Alpha's or even an Omega's, and, you'd have to be fairly close to get a hint of the embarrassment slipping into my clove scent. It does, however, hit Alice's nose as I hear her sniff.

"Awe, Charlie! You've embarrassed him!" Alice runs her hands through my hair as I try to hide my face, "It's okay, Dean. We all have embarrassing first rut and heat stories!" She tries to comfort me, "My first rut started when I was getting my tonsils out. Right in the middle of surgery!" I look up at her with wide eyes, "Oh yeah, hit so strong it woke me out of the anesthesia. Doctors and nurses rushed to put me back under and I had no idea what was even happening." The bartender finally comes over to us and we all order a round of beer to start and make our way to a booth.

"You remember mine, Dean," Cas slides in next to me as Alice and Charlie take the seats across from us, "We were at the water park, I dropped to my knees breathless as we were getting ready to go down the slide and grabbed you for help," Castiel shifts in his seat and tries not to blush at recalling the memory, "And we ended up landing in the slide opening with you on top of me and we went down with the lifeguard shouting after us. He saw my face and called for help." Castiel smiles in embarrassment and picks at the napkin dispenser. I remember that day. It was the hottest day of the summer and our families took us, and Charlie, to the water park to cool off. Castiel had complained about his stomach feeling weird in line but we were halfway to the front so I told him it was just nerves about going on a big slide for the first time without our parents. I was horribly wrong. We were just about to get the 'okay' to sit in the shallow water and wait to go down when he gasped and fell to his knees into the water panting for air as he looked up at me scared and grabbed my trunks causing me to fall on top of him. Castiel groaned and his hips had gyrated against my thigh as we went down the tube, the lifeguard yelling for help and calling some code. I slipped off of him as we went around a bend that led out to the open air and I grabbed his ankles and held on for dear life, watching as he panted and his swim trunks tented up quickly. He looked at me, fear in his red eyes, and bit his lip as he tried his hardest not to touch himself. While my Omega hadn't woken up just yet, the smell of his cinnamon rut pheromones and pure lust still had some effect on me and I blushed as I felt my dick hardening a little in my trunks. When we splashed into the pool, our parents and several lifeguards surrounded us and I was ripped away from Cas for my own protection. I was later told what had happened after we got home. Nobody needs to know I spent my shower that night getting rid of the semi Cas had given me.

"No way," Alice's jaw drops open, "In public?"

"Oh yes. Charlie can confirm." Castiel laughs and looks at Charlie who grins.

"Oh yeah, Castiel was a wreck. Red eyes, tented trunks, calling for Dean on the home," Castiel clears his throat and gives Charlie a pointed look.

"You were calling for me?" I ask him. Before he could answer properly the bartender comes over with our bottles. Castiel takes his and chugs half of it.

"You were ripped away from me, Dean. I was worried." I can smell the harsh embarrassment in his scent before he masks it with happiness for Alice and Charlie. I knock back my own beer, trying to shake the strange sensation buzzing around in the back of my head. Maybe I had only called out for Cas during my heat because I missed him. He was, and is, my best friend after all.

"So, Dean, what about yours?" Alice says and breaks the awkward silent tension that had settled over us. I pick at the label on my beer for a second before answering.

"Well, my first heat hit when Cas and I were showering with the other guys after gym." I say reluctantly, "I fell to my knees and reached out to Cas for help as I panicked. Cas, of course, protected me from the other Alphas in the shower room while I was on the floor suffering before the teacher and several Betas came barging in. I was scooped up off the floor and buried in those emergency heat blankets. If it weren't for Cas, I probably would have been in trouble." I glance over at him with a thankful smile, "The steam of the showers magnified my heat and slick scent and I saw at least twelve eyes flash red at me. I still feel bad about all the scratches and bites you endured, Cas," 

"Ah, don't worry about it, Dean. No dumb Alpha will ever touch you in your most vulnerable state if I have something to do with it." He finishes his beer and flags the bartender over, "A few rounds of Panty Man shots, we're celebrating true mates!" 

"True mates?" The girl says with a grin, "Wow, which pair of you are we celebrating?" She looks between all of us and Alice wraps her arms around Charlie in answer, "Wow! Congratulations, you two! All drinks are on the house!" She goes back to make our shots and brings back four for each of us. 

"To Alice and Charlie!" I raise my shot and Castiel joins in. We all down the first one, grimacing at the heat and bitterness of the alcohol. We all celebrate and tell stories of old dates, bad and good. I tell my story of how I met Lisa when she came into the shop with a bad break line and we had hit it off enough in the brief moment of meeting that I slipped her my number on her receipt. Cas met Meg when he ran into some financial trouble and needed help. I had to spell it out to him that Meg had a huge crush on him and he finally asked her out. Charlie talked about Gilda and Alice was angry about her being so hurt. The hours passed by quickly and the drinks and shots kept a steady flow until my head started floating and my body was buzzing with a pleasant drunk warmth. 

"What I can't put my finger on is who had it worse, Castiel or Dean. Public versus the showers in school." Alice giggles as she puts her eighth shot down.

"Given the danger in nature of being surrounded by naked Alphas, I'd say Dean had it worse than I did, but, if you were to take the danger away, I did have it worse in the embarrassment department. My rut was public and I humped the shit out of my best friend on the way down a water slide." Castiel slurs as he laughs and knocks back his last drink. He didn't have as many drinks as the rest of us but he was still pretty drunk. 

"Cas was so desperate when I fell on top of him, I felt bad." I add and chuckle as I look at him, "You humped my leg so fast you basically rubbed yourself on me!" Castiel blushes and ducks his head.

"Oh, Dean, I'm so sorry. That's so embarrassing!" He laughs and Charlie chokes on her fruity drink that has seven different liquors in it.

"You two are a train wreck! Humping your best friend and falling to dick height and touching naked thighs for help." She laughs and turns to Alice, "I'm so lucky to be a Beta and only worry about my first period story! Fifth-grade health class and literally going over periods." She shakes her head as she laughs, "And starting a rut in the middle of a whole ass surgery! Outstanding."

"It's not like we know when it's going to happen! Sure, some of us are lucky enough to feel it coming on like Cas over here, but I felt nothing!" Alice pulls Charlie closer to her and nuzzles her face into her neck.

"I will admit," I take a long sip of my Long Island that was almost finished, "I did feel warm and a bit nauseous that morning my heat started, but I thought it was just anxiety over the test I didn't study for so I could hang out with Cas longer and play Astroids with him." Castiel looks at me with his eyebrows scrunched together.

"You skipped studying for me?" He questions and I shrug.

"You were upset over a bad test result so I stayed to cheer you up." I finish my drink and lick my lips, "Besides, I got a 100 on it anyway." 

"Well, you both suck!" Alice slurs, "You both got a warning and stupidly ignored it! I didn't get shit!" We all laugh before Cas yawns and starts a chain reaction.

"What time is it?" I ask Cas and he checks his phone that was lying face down on the table from texting Meg earlier when she asked where he was and sent her congratulations to Alice and Charlie.

"It's almost two," He replies, "Anybody legal?" Looks go around the table.

"Nah, we're all hammered," Alice says with a giggle. I pull out my phone, "Calling a cab?"

"No, Lisa said to call if nobody could drive," I get up and everyone follows. We wave and slur our thanks to the gracious bartender who gave us the free drinks before we stumble out of the building. The late-night air feels great on my alcohol warmed skin. I tap through my phone to pull up Lisa's number and hit call. No answer. I try three more times but she still doesn't answer. She must be dead asleep from her rut and grading papers.

"She not answering?" Cas says as we all lean against the rough brick wall. I shake my head and he yawns, "Well, we could all rent a room at the little motel down the block," He suggests and we look over at the girls who are currently sucking each other's faces off, "Or we could get separate rooms." He tears his gaze away to look back at me. I nod in agreement before clearing my throat loudly to get their attention.

"Lisa won't pick up and Cas suggested renting rooms at the motel down the block." Alice and Charlie pull away and hold hands.

"Yeah, it's better than attempting to stupidly drive while being absolutely smashed," Charlie says, "Lead the way, Doc." Castiel steers me with a steady hand on my shoulder and we all walk down the block to the motel.

"I'd like a room with two beds," Castiel says after we walk up to the front desk. The older guy behind the desk looks up at us and sets his Busty Asian Beauties magazine down.

"Best I can do is one bed and a cot that's in the closet." He says, his voice nasally. Castiel looks at me and I shrug, not really caring where I crash.

"We'll take it." Castiel hands the guy his debit card from his wallet he fishes out of his pocket and the guy types things into the computer on the desk.

"Here's your keys. Number 69, second floor." I snicker at the room number and Cas elbows me for being childish as we nod in thanks and step back to wait for the girls. 

"What, you know it's the greatest number to exist, Cas!" I laugh as he continues to glare at me for laughing at our room number.

"Dean, you're 30." He says simply.

"And?" I grin at him, "It's 69, Cas! Learn to live a little!"

"If you're going to be this annoying, you deserve the cot!" Cas turns away from me to hide his drunk, teasing smile.

"No way, if you're going to be a party pooper _you_ deserve the cot!" I poke his shoulder and he turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

"If we are going to fight over who gets the cot, we settle this like adults." Castiel raises a fist, "Best two out of three!" 

"Oh, you're on, old man!" 

"I'm only older than you by a year and a couple of months!" He places his fist in his palm of his other hand, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" He does paper and I do rock.

"One point Cas!" Charlie says as she comes over, "No points Dean!"

"What are they doing?" Alice asks as she watches Cas throw rock. I throw paper.

"Knowing them, battling like men over who gets the bed and who gets whatever this motel has to offer that isn't the bed." Charlie ques in Alice, "One point Dean! One point Cas! This is anybody's game now people!"

He throws scissors.

I throw scissors.

"A tie! Still anybody's game!" Charlie holds up her fingers to represent our points. 

Cas throws paper.

I throw paper.

"This is the most intense game of R.P.S. I've honestly ever witnessed," Alice says as she wraps her arms around Charlie's middle and rests her head on Charlie's shoulder.

Cas throws paper.

I throw scissors.

"And Dean Winchester gets the bed!" Charlie shouts. I smirk at Cas as he grumbles and runs a hand through his hair dramatically.

"Hey, I have important business to do here!" The guy from behind the desks says. We all rush out the door and up the old metal stairs to our rooms.

"Goodnight, guys!" Charlie grins as Alice pulls her into the room and the door shuts quickly. I'm glad there's a room between us. I don't think I could survive the night listening to Charlie and Alice go rounds all night. Cas opens our room and I follow him in. There's no cot to be found and the bed is somewhere between the sizes queen and twin.

"Well, this is horrible." I run a hand down my face. I hadn't shared a bed with Cas since his first rut, parent's rules and all.

"It's only for one night, Dean. I'm sure our parents won't find out." Cas laughs as if he read my mind. He strips off his coat and pulls his shirt over his head, "We'll be fine, we're two grown adults." I realize he can smell my nervousness as the scent blockers are totally gone by now, worn off from a long day. I nod and pull my own shirt off, tossing it to the floor. 

"Yeah, alright, but that is a small ass bed for two grown adults, Cas." I point out as he slips his pants off and climbs under the covers. He takes up over half of the bed laying on his back. I unbutton and unzip my jeans before pulling them down.

"It's alright, Dean. We'll just do what we did when we were kids sharing a twin bed," He pulls the covers back for me and I slide in after shutting off the light, "Dean, relax. Your father is no longer around to demean you. He's gone, he can't say shit." Castiel's arm wraps around me and I roll onto my side. He was right. John was dead. He couldn't ridicule me anymore. He couldn't tell me I was an Omega slut. A disappointment. A mistake. John Winchester has been dead for over 10 years now.

"Goodnight, Cas." I sigh. I feel myself relax into him as he holds me like he did when we were kids. 

"Goodnight, Dean." He whispers. I shut my eyes and quickly fall asleep, feeling something buzz at the back of my head like I did when I found out he had called out for me when I was ripped away from him at the pool all those years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I extended it to make up for it being a month since the last update. Thank you for your patience. 
> 
> Panty Man shot - Absolut Kurant Vodka, Cranberry Juice, Sour Mix


	5. 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair disclaimer, I have no idea how straight sex works and I've only ever written Destiel porn so forgive me if it's terrible. It isn't essential so you can just skim/skip it as Dean thinks it over a little bit after everything is done.

The sunlight shining through the tiniest crack in the shut curtains hits my face and I wince. My head is pounding and my body aches from being in one place for so long. As I wake up a bit more I realize Castiel has me totally engulfed in his strong arms and his nose is buried in my neck. More importantly, his nose is tucked away where my scent gland is and as I wake up even more, I can smell his happy and content scent surrounding me. I glance down under the blanket as Cas moves his hips and bite back the pathetic needy Omega whine wanting to escape as my Omega stirs awake. Cas has morning wood. Cas is hard and his boxers are scrunched up so his dick is inevitably sticking out through the leg, shiny with precum that's pearling at the tip. He huffs in his sleep and pulls me closer, burying his nose deeper into my neck and slowly hooking his right leg around my own. I fight my stupid instincts to bare my neck for the Alpha as he breathes in my scent straight from my gland and his hips slowly move against me for a second before stopping.

I gasp softly and breathe through my mouth as the happy Alpha scent turns musky and heated with arousal but it's too late. My Omega has already scented Cas's Alpha and I bear my neck to him, _This is so embarrassing! He's my best friend, not to mention I have a mate! And Cas has a mate, too!_ I fight against my second nature and try to ignore the tingling heat in my stomach. Cas hasn't affected me like this for well over 10 years, especially after getting on heat suppressants after my first heat. Maybe my heat suppressants need to be changed, I've been taking them for years now after all.

My thoughts are cut off as Cas mumbles something in his sleep and sighs into my neck, his hips gently nudging into my thigh a few times before stopping again, and the scent of aroused and content Alpha growing stronger. My vision brightens, the sunlight through the crack in the curtain becoming brighter, and the green light of the clock's numbers on the nightstand glowing abnormally bright. I bite my lip in embarrassment, knowing my eyes must be glowing Omega gold. I give into the battle against my instincts and sigh contently as Castiel engulfs me in his arms, breathing in his musky, sweet cinnamon scent that keeps growing stronger. My body buzzes and tingles where Castiel makes contact with my skin, warm and electric where our skin touches. I slowly move my left arm to hold onto his bicep that's wrapped around me and something in me flares, hot and strong, and it takes my breath away as a gush of slick produces and wets my underwear. I rip my hand away and wiggle my way free from his grip on me, panting as I get out of bed. _What the FUCK was that?_ I gasp as I look at him, his dick is dripping precum onto the sheets and its starting to pool. My leg is wet from where he was pushing against me. I wipe at the damp spot and curiously bring my fingers up to examine the overly sticky, clear liquid on my fingertips and give it a curious and knowing sniff. Another gush of slick soaks my boxers and I bite back an involuntary moan. What I had thought was precum was actually an Alpha's scent-marking fluid, which explains why his scent is so strong. I look back at Cas and catch a glimpse of Alpha red as his eyes flutter as he looks for me in his sleep. I blush harshly and make my way to the bathroom to try and calm down.

"Jesus, Winchester! Pull yourself together!" I grip the edge of the sink and look at myself in the mirror. My eyes are no longer bright green, Omega gold completely shining through, bright and loud. I turn the faucet to splash cool water onto my face, feeling my heart pound as another gush of slick pulses out of me. I feel my dick twitch as blood rushes into it to stiffen it at an alarmingly fast rate. I groan inwardly at myself. I've never been more aroused by an Alpha. Lisa has never once gotten my eyes to go gold. I run more water over my face and take a deep breath. I needed to calm myself down and fast but nothing I tried seemed to work and I could hear my father's words echoing in the back of my head. _You are such a worthless Omega slut, Dean Winchester. You have a girlfriend, a_ mate, _yet here you are. Soaking through your boxers with gold eyes all because of your best friend having a wet dream about his Omega. How pathetic. How typical Omega of you, Dean-_

"Ngph-!" I can hear Cas on the other side of the bathroom door and bed creaks, "Mph!" I shut the water off and crack the bathroom door open. All the air is punched out of my lungs as I watch Castiel frantically hump the bed in his sleep, "D-D-mmh- _oohh-_ " And yeah, that was Castiel cumming all over the sheets in a soft moan in his sleep. I shut the door with blood pounding in my ears and turn the shower on.

"Fuck me!" I groan as I strip off my boxers and rip back the curtain before stepping into the shower. There was no way in Hell that I could wait this erection out, not with my damn eyes glowing gold. I breathe out a sigh as the hot water beats against my skin and soothes the ache from sleeping like a log in Castiel's arms. 

After my shower, where I totally did _not_ mess the wall of the shower twice to the image of Castiel cumming on the dingy motel sheets in his sleep; even though I tried desperately to shove the playback scene of Castiel humping the bed we shared as he came with Alpha red-eyes peeking out of his eyelids as they fluttered in pleasure. I was positive it had something to do with his scent creeping into the bathroom from below the door. I grab my boxers from where I left them on the fake tile floor and run the hot water in the sink. I had to get rid of the slick that was in them, and, the wet spot from Castiel sleep marking me with his scent. I grab the complimentary soaps and start scrubbing them into the fabric, slowly working out the slick and scent marking. Once everything is all scrubbed out, aside from Castiel's scent that will stay for a few more washings with heavy-duty detergent and a few weeks on my skin, I reach under the sink to find the hairdryer and turn it on high to slowly dry my underwear.

"Oh, uh, Dean," Cas stutters out awkwardly. He's fully dressed and has stripped the bed by the time I come out of the bathroom in my really damp boxers.

"Sleep well, Alpha?" I smirk, teasing him. His ears tint pink and he adverts his eyes.

"I- Yes." He avoids my eyes and takes interest in the dull gray carpet at his bare feet. "I'm sorry, Dean. I hope-"

"It's alright, Cas. I have dreams about Lisa, too. It's normal to have... Dreams... About our mates." I cut him off with a wave of my hand and scoop up my clothing to put it on.

"Yes, wet dreams about our mates. Normal." Castiel looks up at me as I pull my pants on and for a second I swear I can smell a fresh wave of lust before it's replaced by happy and more than slightly embarrassed Alpha, "I am well aware that I, um, may have marked you with my scent and I want to give you my sincerest apology, Dean." I pull my shirt over my head, "If you want, I can take those boxers home and return them when my scent is gone. I'm sorry I can't do much about my scent on your skin." There's an odd twist in my stomach at his offer to keep my boxers until his scent fades away but I ignore it.

"It's fine, Cas. If anything, it will rile Lisa up and I get several rounds of jealous Alpha sex!" I grin at him and he rolls his eyes with a smile. 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd assume you want to keep them for personal reasons other than crazed Alpha sex, Dean," Castiel says. Before I can think of a witty comeback there's a knock on our motel door with a horrible impression of a horrible impression from the movie _Tommy Boy._

"House Keeping!" Charlie's voice calls. Castiel moves to open the door and I watch as Alice's and Charlie's face scrunch up, "Did you two finally admit your dumb feelings for each other or did somebody have a fun dream?"

"Charlie Bradbury," I shake my head at her as Cas steps aside to let her and Alice in, "You already know the answer."

"Ah. So when's the wedding?" She smirks at me, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She holds her hands up in defense as I glare at her. She turns to Cas with a raised eyebrow, "So, Castiel. Have any good dreams recently?"

"Charlie!" Castiel hisses, embarrassment flooding his scent, "Please,"

"Let the poor Alpha be, Charles," I say and Castiel shoots me a thankful look. Charlie has a talent for making people talk and getting information out of them they never wanted to share, "He's been through enough embarrassment this morning,"

"I'll say," Alice chimes in, "Smells like Alpha marking in here," Castiel's face turns beet red and his scent floods with overpowering embarrassment, making me gag a bit.

"Uh, well," I begin but falter for a second, "Yeah. He, uh, kind of marked me a bit in his sleep. The rest is on the sheets, along with-"

"Dean, I'm sure they get it," Castiel says and runs a hand over his embarrassed face. I snort at him with a mischievous grin, "Can we get going now? I'm hungry."

"I bet you are, Cassie boy!" Charlie grins and steps out of arms reach as Cas tries to slap her arm.

"Hush, young Beta," Cas says flatly and leads us to out and down to the lobby after we both finish getting dressed. We all check out and start walking back to the bar where my car is, "You're sure you don't want me to hang onto your boxers? I know you washed them, I can smell the scent dulling soaps from here." Castiel says quietly as we walk side by side with Alice and Charlie behind us having their own conversation. I shrug a shoulder.

"I don't care, either way, Cas. Your scent is still on my skin, though, so I don't think it really matters." Cas kicks a pebble and we watch it bounce and tumble a few steps ahead of us. I could tell something was on his mind and bothering him, but I'm not one to push people into talking when they don't want to. He will tell me when he's ready.

"You're right. Again, I'm sorry for... You know..." He keeps his eyes focused on the pebble where it lands before kicking it again. I can tell that Cas is masking something in his scent, I've known the guy my whole life. Our hands brush as we walk and I feel Cas tense up before quickly relaxing. 

"It's okay, Cas. It's awkward, but we don't have control of our dreams," I look both ways before crossing the street to the parking lot, "Besides, I'm sure Dream Meg was begging for it. Your eyes were red in your sleep," I answer before he asks as he flushes red once again, "Not feral red, don't worry. It was normal pent up Alpha red."

"Oh my God," Castiel looks away from me as we approach my car. I look her over for any kind of scratches or dents as Cas waits with his head ducked away from me as he waits for me to finish so I can unlock the door.

"Alight. Baby is safe and sound. I guess I can let you in, Cas." My keys jingle as I pull them from my pocket. Alice and Charlie fell a little behind and slowly make their way over as I unlock my door and slide in, reaching over to unlock Cas's door, "Might want to get rid of that embarrassment in your scent, Alpha," I hide a laugh as I tease him, "You know Charlie will only tease you worse than I ever would."

"She's a cocky little Beta, bless her." Castiel takes a deep breath and reaches back to unlock the back door. I reach back and do the same and a few seconds later the girls clamber in.

"It smells like Cas in here," Charlie frowns.

"Yes, Charlie. That's what happens when somebody gets scent marked. They tend to carry a strong scent of the Alpha on them that did the marking." I turn the key and grin at Baby's loud roar to life, "Now, who wants a greasy hangover breakfast?" Everyone hums in response and I take off towards Harvell's Road House.

*********

"Dude, why do you smell like Cas?" Sam asks as I walk through the front door of his and Jess's small one-story home. I had the day off today and Castiel went home because he and his twin, Jimmy, had plans today, so I found myself wandering down the hallway and into Sam's living room. Jess definitely decorated this room. It was very homey and cluttered with old books along with Sam's law-school textbooks.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story and kind of really embarrassing." I take a seat on the deep navy couch and prop my feet up on the beat-up coffee table.

"Is that Dean I hear?" Jess's voice rings out from their bedroom. She comes through the doorway, waddling with her hands cupped around her swollen stomach. Sammy and Jess had met in their freshman year of college and had gotten married two years ago, "Hello, Dean, how are you?" 

"I'm great, Jess. How are you and Mystery?" They both wanted to keep the sex of their pup a secret until they were born. Jess makes her way over and I give her my hand to help her sit on the couch next to me.

"Should be here any day now," Jess smiles at her stomach as she gives it a loving rub, "You smell like Castiel."

"Yeah, he was just about to explain that, weren't you, Dean?" Sam says as he comes over and sits on the couch as well, cuddling Jess and kissing her cheek. I avoid their eyes as I clear my throat.

"Well, first of all, Charlie found her true mate." I state and they both gasp and grin widely, "Her name is Alice. She's a pretty cool Alpha." I look at the laces of my boots as I try to think of the best way to explain why I smell like Cas.

"That's wonderful to hear!" Jess says, "I'm so happy for her, for both of them. I know how hurt Charlie was after Gilda."

"Yeah, I never thought I'd see Charlie happy with somebody ever again if I'm being completely honest." I smile to myself before getting enough courage to tell them what had happened after we went out and celebrated. Jess giggles when I explain how Cas was humping my thigh in his sleep and Sam cringes as I explain that while humping me, he was also scent marking me and the effects that it had. I spare them the details of my shower and two body shaking orgasms.

"Wait, so, your eyes-"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's heat related," I cut Sam off and he pulls a face at me, "What? I've been taking the same thing for years, it's bound to stop working sometime!" Sam puts his hands up in defense.

"Okay, alright, but in my studies-"

"Sam leave it." I wave him off. Once the kid got onto topics of the things he has studied he can go on for hours at a time about it, and, in-depth, too. It was boring, "I don't have the time or energy to handle one of your in-depth lectures right now."

"Still hung-over, huh?" Sam smirks and I nod.

"I have something just for that! An old college remedy!" Jess says and moves to get up but Sam and I both stop her.

"No, Jess. I'll be fine, don't get up." I assure her, "Just not as young as I used to be is all. I used to be able to party all night and make it on time for my early morning classes."

"Dean, I'm still shocked as to how you're alive at 30. Your eating and drinking habits are bad enough to take out any normal 30-year-old!" Sam shakes his head, "It's not natural!"

"Thank you, Sam. I take that as a compliment." I shift in my seat to get more comfortable, "What have you two been up to? I haven't seen you guys in a while. You're still coming to Mom's for dinner?"

"Well, pup has been tap dancing on my bladder for the past week so I've been wearing Always's Discreet Incontinence Pads for women," Jess sighs, and my face twists into a disgusted look, "Hey, you asked! 'Sides, you would have to use the men's if you were to fall pregnant, Dean."

"Yeah right," I tease, "So, besides pups causing leaky bladders, what else has been going on?" Jess looks at Sam who shakes his head in modesty, "Sammy?"

"It's _Sam_ , and, well," He looks away for a second before turning back to me with a big smile, "You know that Alpha who was accused of assaulting and holding those three Omegas hostage?"

"Uh, yeah! You get him landed in jail?" I didn't hear much about the case, it made me panicky just to read what he had done to them. Made my blood boil to know that they had been abused for several months before anybody caught him.

"Quite the opposite! And before you get too distressed, listen first," Sam says before I get a chance to rip into him, "I was a bit uneasy taking his case, but once I really looked into it, all the evidence didn't match up. He was an innocent man, Dean."

"Innocent-"

"Dean, even the DNA samples proved him innocent!" Sam holds up his hand to silence me, "The Omegas were blindfolded so they only went off of voices and his was similar to the real abuser. He was there because he heard them crying for help while taking a walk, he was there trying to bust them free!"

"So... He really is innocent?" I ask as I wrap my head around everything.

"Yes! He was on death row for nothing while the real abuser is out there! I saved an innocent man's life!" I run a hand over my face. The Alpha had been on death row for nearly two years, "And that's not all, Dean. He gave us a lead on the guy who did it."

"Now, wait a minute, he's on death row for two years and suddenly when he's free there's a lead on the bastard who did it?" My eyebrows pull together and Sam gives a small smile.

"Nobody who worked on this man's case would listen. He went through 10 different lawyers before me and I was the only one to listen to him and want to fight for his freedom, Dean. Nobody else read through the case file like I did." Pride swells in my chest. Sammy had always been a good listener and an even better problem solver. It's why him becoming a lawyer wasn't all that shocking.

"So, who's the lead?" I ask. Jess makes a face and rubs her stomach, whispering something soothing as she does it.

"I can't give you all the details yet, legally, but, we may have a name and some factors line up. Cole Trenton." Sam says seriously, "You can not tell anybody, Dean, but please be aware of that name. You know what happened to the Omega man in his care." Jess grunts as she tries to get up and I stand up and hold out my hand. She grabs it and gives me a thankful smile as I help her up and sit back down.

"Cole Trenton. Got it." The bathroom door closes and Sam chuckles.

"She's gone pee like thirty times today," He says fondly.

"She is still totally out of your league, Sam. Don't know how you managed to have her fall for you." Sam pulls a bitch face and I grin at him.

"She is not!" Sam says in defense, "So, why were you hanging out with Cas last night anyway, not that it's illegal or anything, just wondering." Sam changes the subject and throws his overly long leg over the other so his ankle is resting on his knee.

"He needed a pick-me-up. He lost an Omega while delivering the pup," Sam's face softens, "You know how he is, not even Meg knows how to deal with him when he's lost a patient." Sam nods in agreement before running a hand through his long hair.

"Not sure how you do it, Dean, make him relevantly happy after he's had a death on the job," Sam says and I shrug in response. I didn't really know the answer myself, aside from knowing Castiel for years, but even then I couldn't really understand why I was the only one able to help him or cheer him up.

"Well, I do know Cas on higher-level, being best friends with him basically since birth, Sam," I point out, "So, that could be it."

"Maybe." Sam says thoughtfully, "Still can't believe he scent marked you in his sleep! Lisa is going to go wild in instincts," Sam shakes his head as he laughs a little.

"Oh, I know. Kinda can't wait for her to come home tonight!" I waggle my eyebrows at him and he groans.

"Oh, gross, Dean!" 

"Probably should get my anti-mating bite collar on, too!" Sam reaches over to punch my arm but I lean away from him and he misses. Jess comes out of the bathroom and joins us back on the couch before mentioning that we should watch some new play that was released on Disney Plus. Sam argues before she mentions it's a historical fiction play and he's in. The play isn't half bad and the songs are fantastic.

When the play is over Jess offers to make dinner for the three of us and I decline. It was getting right around the time Lisa would be home so I had to get going, "Well, I guess we'll see you at Mary's," Jess says as she and Sam walked me to the door, "That is, unless, Little One shows up beforehand," Jess rubs her stomach and smiles. I gesture at her stomach in a silent question and she leans her stomach out a bit further in answer. I smile shyly as I place my hand on her swollen belly and look up at her before looking back at the gray t-shirt stretching over her. A small foot kicks at the palm of my hand and my smile grows wider.

"Hey, pup, it's your uncle Dean here," I say quietly, "I think I speak for Mommy and Daddy, too, when I say I can't wait to meet you," I get another kick in response and I drop my hand.

"Alright, Dean. We'll see you at Mom's," Sam pulls me in for a hug and I give Jess a side hug to avoid squishing her stomach and kiss her cheek before leaving out the door and to my Impala. Pregnancy was something I'd never experience with Lisa unless we get donor sperm and put it in me and it kind of bummed me out. Ever since I presented Omega, I knew fatherhood was for me. I want to experience all of it, the swollen feet, the hurting nipples, the pup playing soccer with my bladder. While I love Lisa, and I know I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her, I couldn't help but feel a loss at never getting to experience what most Omega men get to with their Alpha and Beta men. 

After getting home and parking Baby in her respected spot, I trudge up the stairs and down the hall to my apartment. Lisa was home before me and was busying herself in the kitchen when I walked through the door, "Babe! You're home!"

"Yeah, after breakfast I dropped the girls and Cas off and headed over to Sam's." I walk over to the kitchen and start pulling out plates and cups to set the counter island with, "Jess is due any day now," I take a deep breath and hum at the sweet and meaty scent of the steaks Lisa was cooking in the frying pan. It's dinners like this when I wish I had a nice house like Cas's. Pan cooked steak just wasn't the same as grilled steak.

"You excited to be an uncle?" Lisa smiles as she turns her attention away from the pan to look at me. It's evident she hasn't smelled Cas on me yet.

"Hell yeah, I am! Can't wait to spoil my little niece or nephew!" I grin at her and set the plates down on the island along with the cups and turn to reach behind Lisa for the forks and knives. She sniffs. 

"Dean-"

"I can explain, Lis!" I back up and abandon my mission for silverware, "I tried calling you last night to pick us up," I gulp as the dark brown of her eyes slowly change to a possessive Alpha red, "And when you didn't answer, we all walked to the crappy motel a few blocks away," Lisa pushes the seemingly done steaks to the back burner to keep them warm and starts to crowd me. It'd be a lie if I said this wasn't a massive turn on, "And we asked for two beds, but there wasn't any rooms like that left so we were promised a cot, you see," Lisa starts backing me down the hall towards our bedroom, "And well, there wasn't a cot, so Cas and I had to share a bed, and well, Cas had a wet dream and accidentally marked me in his slee-" Lisa shoves me into our room and onto the bed.

"Well, my sweet, little Omega," Lisa says as she straddles my lap, "I think we should get his stink off of you." She growls in my ear and circles her hips, drawing a helpless moan out of me. Slick dampens my boxers as Lisa kisses me sweetly before biting down on my bottom lip and pulling on it.

"Lisa," I moan as her hands trace my chest and up my neck to fist my hair and pull on it.

"I'm going to erase his mark he made on you, Dean," Lisa says in my ear, hot puffs making it tingle before she nips at the spot on my neck just below the lobe. I bare my neck to her and she attacks it with tiny bites and wet kisses, circling her hips on mine and drawing soft pants out of me as I start to stiffen in my jeans. She moves swiftly to strip off my pants and boxers and boots and I work off my shirt as she comes back up the bed to kiss me roughly, sitting in my lap. My hands roam softly up her sides, gently groping in places before finding their way to her breasts and giving them a firm squeeze, "Oh, fuck!"

"Mark me, Lisa. Make me yours," I whine as she reaches for the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head. Her breasts fall free as she undoes the clip on the front of her bra and I attach my mouth to her nipple and knead her other boob with my hand. Her hands find my hair once again and pull me closer as run my tongue around the nub in my mouth before gingerly nipping at it and then licking a hot stripe from her nipple to her scent gland and giving that a nip. Slick dribbles out of me and onto the blanket we're sat on. Lisa groans and pulls away to get off the bend to strip her pants off. Commando and neatly trimmed. I moan at the sight and lick my palm before stroking myself as I watch her open the closet and bend over to dig through our box of toys. She tosses my collar at me and I thumb at her teeth indents from past rough and wild sex rounds. One day I wouldn't need this inch thick leather collar and Lisa would be free to claim me as hers anytime she wanted.

"Turn over after you put that on, my Omega. I want to see that needy hole of yours." Slick gushes out of me at her command and I moan as I put my collar on and turn over onto my stomach. I raise my ass in the air and hold my breath as I wait. I wasn't in heat, but I sure was just as turned on.

"Lisa-" I'm cut off by my own choked moan as a hot tongue flicks across my hole as hands spread my cheeks apart. Lisa moans as she licks a stripe from balls to hole and I push back against her face, "Fuck,"

"So sweet, my little Omega," She purrs before diving her tongue into me as my hole pulses and leaks more slick. She adds a finger alongside her tongue and I roll my hips back onto her. I shut my eyes in pleasure as my mouth falls open as I pant. Lisa pulls away after a few minutes of licking and fingering me and I let out a needy whine, "Come here," She commands as she guides my hips down and leads me or roll over onto my back. She crawls up my body and kisses me roughly before moving to hover above my face and I don't hesitate at plunging my tongue into her and help her steady herself with hands on her ass, groping and kneading, "Ah, _fuck!_ " Lisa gasps as I lick at her clit before suckling on it, "Shit!" She grips the headboard and grinds down on my tongue, rocking and swiveling her hips. I lick my way into her again and fell her muscles quiver around my tongue and something sweet and sticky coats it as her scent gets stronger. Lisa pulls herself up off of me sits on my chest, looking me in the eyes as she scent marks me there before moving down and rubbing herself against my thing where Cas's mark was. The scents mix and I moan as Lisa reaches down between her and coats her own hand in her scent and uses it to stroke my cock that was bobbing and begging for attention. Lisa gives a possessive growl as I moan and fist the sheets, toes curling, as the slick, sticky, scent-marking fluid sets every nerve ending on my dick alight. I thrust up into her fist rapidly, needing as much friction as I can get before Lisa pulls away again and swings a leg over me with her hands on my chest. She reaches between us and lines my cock up with her entrance and sinks down onto me, making the both of us moan.

"Lisa- fuck- shit!" I choke out as she lifts up and eases back down at a brutally slow pace. She bends down to kiss me as she rocks and rolls her hips as I thrust up into her. 

"FUCK!" Lisa shouts and pants as she sits up and bounces. My hands reach up and play with her breasts, rolling her nipples and gently pinching them, "Shit, Dean! My Omega! Fuck, right there!" Her hips stutter and I move my hands to hold her hips to steady her and thrust faster and harder into her, feeling her silky walls pulsate around my cock. The room is filled with our pants and skin slapping against skin, the scent of Lisa and Castiel surrounding us, and making my vision blur with need. Lisa cries out and locks up around me and I drill my hips up into her, one hand moving up and pinching and rolling her hardened nipple as she cums, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckfuckfuck! YES!" She shouts through clenched teeth, her eyes a dangerous crimson. Lisa whips forward as her hips gyrate and her teeth sink into the leather collar as she pants through her nose before she slows her movements and stops completely. I let out a needy whine and thrust into her, making her hiss, "Alright," Lisa pants as she releases her teeth from the leather, "Let me take care of you," The red is slowly fading from her eyes as she gets up off of me and kisses me sweetly before returning to the closet, "Present for me, Omega." I can feel the sheet peel away from me as I roll over once again, slick making it sticky and wet.

"Please!" I whine as I arch my back with my ass in the air, "Please,"

"Shhh," Lisa coos and I feel the bed dip under her wait, "Be good for me, Dean." I look behind me at Lisa and moan as I see her adjusting my favorite knotting toy into the straps to hold it in place, "You want this, little Omega? You want this knot?" I hiss as she slaps my ass and rubs the toy against my crack.

"Lisa, please!" I whine and push back in a lame attempt to put the toy in. Lisa chuckles, out of breath still from her orgasm, and smacks my ass again.

"So hot like this, my needy, little Omega, so sexy," She pushes a thumb into my ass and I moan, "Marked accidentally by your best friend and made into a perfect bitch by your Alpha," She thrusts her thumb in and out of me before shoving two fingers into me. I moan as Lisa twists her fingers in search of my prostate, purposely missing it once she finds it and I thrust back on her fingers.

"A-Alpha, please! Fuck me!" I bury my face into the blanket and arch my back, even more, my chest flat on the mattress. Lisa taps my prostate and I see white as I shout and turn my head to the side, "Please, please, please!" Lisa laughs and pulls her fingers out and I feel the fleshy, rubber tip of the toy against my entrance. I hold my breath in anticipation for a moment before Lisa pushes in, " _Ah!_ " I groan as I feel the toy stretching me open as it sinks into me. Castiel's scent hits me and I shut my eyes and try to focus on Lisa's. It's no use, though, as Castiel's sweet cinnamon scent is stronger and more powerful than Lisa's vanilla and rose scent. With my eyes closed, Lisa and the toy become Castiel and I give out a panicked moan as sparks shoot through my body. With my eyes closed, it's Castiel hammering on my prostate and driving me close to the edge before stopping and letting me calm down. It's Castiel's hand wrapping around my cock and tugging it, drawing out quick, short puffs of pleasured breath. 

"So good for me like this, Dean, so close to the edge, so lost in pleasure," Lisa moans in my ear as she drapes herself over me and I'm brought back to reality. I can feel the rubber knot start to catch and Lisa pulls out and manhandles me onto my back with a pillow tucked under me for support before shoving the toy back into me, hitting my prostate over and over again until my eyes blur and water with pleasure.

"Fuck! Fuck, I'm gonna- I'm gonna cum!" I warn and Lisa plows into me faster and harder, the rubber knot popping in and out before my eyes roll back into my head and I take a deep inhale, drowning in Castiel's scent that overpowers Lisa's and shuts it out. Seeing stars as the edges of my vision blacken, I clench down around the knot, rope after rope of cum shooting across my chest and stomach as my body hums and buzzes with pleasure as Lisa strokes me and makes shallow thrusts, and I wrap my legs and arms around her for dear life. Lisa kisses me through my orgasm and stifles my loud moaning before carefully reaching behind her and undoing the special straps and climbing off of me. She leaves to the bathroom and comes back with a warm washcloth and cleans me up before covering me with a throw over blanket.

"I have to finish dinner, otherwise I'd stay here with you, babe," Lisa says as she bends down to kiss my forehead, "I'll bring it in if you're not recovered enough to come out and eat." I nod, breathless and boneless, and watch her leave the bedroom after tossing my shirt and a new pair of panties on. I could take the toy out now as it wasn't a real knot and didn't need to wait for swelling to go down, but I didn't have the energy. I was so confused. I hadn't came like that in years. Castiel's stupid scent was to blame, that I know for sure. I breathe through my mouth to avoid his scent but it's so strong now that I can taste it and my dick twitches as I run a hand over my face. What was happening? Why was Cas's scent so strong right now? Shouldn't Lisa's scent be covering it up? 

I had never been marked before so maybe it's just how it works? Or maybe Lisa's scent was weaker compared to an Alpha male's? Do I bring this up to Castiel? Hell no, that's embarrassing. I sigh and rest my eyes, tired from the mind-blowing orgasm, and float for what seems like a few minutes until Lisa comes back to check on me, "You okay to come out and eat, babe?" I open my eyes and look up at her.

"Yeah, let me just," I reach between my legs and squirm a bit as I take the toy out before sitting up and letting the blanket fall away as I stand up. I leave the toy on the bed and grab a pair of dark sweats to pull on before kissing Lisa as she leads the way to the kitchen.

"You still smell like, Cas," Lisa says in a teasing voice and I mumble something incoherent around the first bite of steak, "Mmm, perhaps I," She rests her hand on my thigh and gives it a gentle squeeze, "Need to mark you more," Her eyes flash red for a second as she whispers in a sultry voice and I can't help but to groan at her words. I was going to be exhausted in the morning.


	6. 5.

Work the next day was horrible. Crowley wouldn't stop teasing me, Bobby wouldn't stop it and joined in, and my old friend, and ex-boyfriend, Benny, started working parttime with us and wouldn't stop questioning Cas and my friendship. 

Lisa had basically marked every inch of my body, but her scent was mute compared to Castiel's cinnamon scent. It was driving her crazy and starting fights between us so I tried to cover it up with my scent blocker. It only worked for about an hour before his scent was back and Lisa ended up leaving for her mom's. I haven't seen her in a few days and I was starting to get worried she would never come back. Maybe that's why I found myself parked outside her mother's home with my hands on the wheel, hesitating to get out and knock on the door, "C'mon, Dean! Don't be a dumb cowardice bitch about this! You did nothing wrong here, Cas is the one who accidentally marked you!" I lean my head between my hands on the steering wheel and take a deep breath before getting out and walking up to the front door.

"Dean?" Lisa opens the door before I get a chance to knock and steps outside, "What are you doing here?" Her hair was unbrushed and knotted, her eyes a reddish-pink from undoubtedly crying, and her voice was crackly and raw.

"Lisa, please, come home!" I say quietly as a lump in my throat forms. Lisa smiles sadly and shakes her head, "Nothing happened between Cas and me! I'm not lying to you, Lis,"

"Well, it sure seems like it, Dean! It's almost like you two are scent bonded with the way my scent never stays on you for more than-" Lisa brings a hand to her mouth as tears dampen her lashes when she closes her eyes.

"I don't know how Alpha marking works, Lisa! I've never been marked before you and Cas did it!"

"So he did it on purpose-!"

"NO! No, Lisa, he was asleep! He was having a wet dream about Meg!" Lisa makes a face at the sour scent I'm putting off and I try to mask it, "How many times do I have to tell you!"

"Well, Dean, not for nothing, but, your ass was kind of loose before I even got to work on it!" Lisa crosses her arms after wiping at her eyes. I feel my face heat up and I look at our feet.

"I," I look back up and swallow hard. One major detail I left out of retelling the story of how I was marked by Cas was how it affected me and how I had gotten off twice in the shower with three fingers in me thinking about how Cas had frantically humped the motel bed as he came.

"Look, Dean. If you had sex with Cas, it wouldn't shock me. But it hurts that if you did you are hiding it from me, so for fucks sake! Spit it out!" The lump in my throat burns and throbs as I try to swallow it.

"I... I didn't have sex with Cas, but I may have masturbated in the motel shower." Lisa raises her eyebrows at me, "I... I definitely masturbated in the motel shower."

"So, what? Your B.F.F. marks you in his sleep and you casually rub one out in the shower?" I knew if I told her everything it would leave the both of us heartbroken so I nod and she doesn't press for more details.

"I know it sounds like some stupid teenager shit, Lisa, but that's what happened." It technically wasn't a lie, but it still wasn't the full truth either.

"So, you didn't have sex with Cas?"

"No, Cas is my best friend, it'd be weird!" I push away the thoughts I had been having that either kept me from jerking off or kept me jerking off. Cas's scent is intoxicating and no matter what tricks I try, it makes my mind wander to him in intimate settings. Maybe I should bring it up at my next doctor's appointment when I go to see her for my heat suppressants. Lisa steps into my space and pulls me in for a slow kiss.

"I'm sorry," She whispers against my lips, I wrap my arms around her and walk her so she's up against the door of her mom's.

"I would never cheat on you, Lisa. Not even if I found my true mate, I would talk to you first," I pull back and rest my hands on her hips and she smiles up at me.

"I think true mates get a pass, Dean." She smiles and puts a hand on my cheek and kisses my lips, "Now, why don't we head up to my old room and," I yelp when Lisa smacks my ass and pulls me closer, "Make up," She reaches behind her to open the door and yanks me inside, dragging me down the hallway to her old bedroom.

"What about your mom?" I ask as she covers my neck in kisses while she gropes me through my work jeans.

"Out shopping. We should have two hours." She moans as I pull her close to me and knead her ass.

*********

When Lisa and I pull up to Mom's I can see that Bobby and Ellen and Jo are already there. I park next to Bobby's beat up pick up and Lisa and I get out and walk to the front door of my childhood home, "Mom?" I call out as I open the door and walk through it.

"Dean!" Mom calls out before she rounds the corner from the kitchen, "Lisa!" She hugs both of us and kisses my cheek with a gentle smile before her nose scrunches and she looks at me, "Dean, why on earth do you smell like Cas?"

"It's, um. It's a long story, Mom." I rub the back of my neck and Mom looks me up and down.

"It's okay, Mary, really. It's not what you think," Lisa laughs and Bobby comes into the entranceway from the kitchen, "Bobby," Lisa greets him and he gives her a hug.

"Nice to see you, Lisa. Dean," Bobby sniffs and shakes his head, "You wanna use my own Alpha scent blocker, boy?" He tries to hide a teasing smile but it fails.

"Nah, old man. I'm fine, thank you." Before Bobby can say something back the front door opens and Jimmy walks in with Castiel behind him and Gabriel behind him.

"Dean," Jimmy smiles. His voice is higher in comparison to Castiel's, and his scent is very similar but other than that, and they're polar opposite personalities, they were completely identical. For the longest time as kids, I couldn't tell him or Cas apart and they never made it easy on me either with the stupid swap games they played, "You... Smell like my brother." Castiel looks away from us and my face heats up.

"I do, and there is an explanation for that, but it's also Cas's story to tell so I'm going to let him explain." Castiel looks up at me with a small glare as Jimmy begins pestering him along with Gabe as we all make our way to the living room and Mom, Bobby, and Ellen go back into the kitchen to finish up cooking and talk about why I smelled like Cas.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jimmy!" Castiel groans as we plop down on the couch. Lisa takes the chair next to it and Gabriels finds himself on the floor as Jimmy stands and continues to pester Cas.

"I am your brother, Cas! Your twin! You are supposed to tell me everything!" Jimmy looks at Cas with a kicked puppy look and Castiel shoves him away with a foot, "Dean, why can't you tell me why my idiot Alpha brother marked you?" I choke on my spit as Jimmy turns his attention to me. Castiel looks at me with pleading eyes and I can smell a tiny hint of embarrassment in his scent.

"I, well," Castiel puts a hand on my knee, and my train of thought stops.

"I won't ever live this down if you tell my brothers, please don't!" Cas begs in a desperate whisper so only I could hear him. I bite my lip and look back at Jimmy and Gabe.

"Sorry. I've already told my family, it's up to Cas to tell you." I shrug and they both groan at me.

"Oh no, you leave me out of this, boys!" Lisa says as Jimmy and Gabe turn to her. Cas sits back in his seat and folds his hands in his lap.

"Oh, come on, Lisa! Give us a hint!" Gabriel says, "He marked your mate after all!"

"No," Lisa crosses her legs, "It isn't my embarrassing story to tell." Jimmy and Gabe look at each other and nod and before I know it Jimmy in on top of me and Gabe has Cas in a headlock as he tries to run for it. I wriggle under the Alpha and try to shove him off but it's no use. I look to Lisa for help and she only smiles and shakes her head with an 'I'm not a part of this' look.

"Jimmy! Get off me!" I shove at his chest, which isn't as strong as Cas's, and he pins my hands at my sides, "MOM!"

"You're grown men in their 30s, Dean! You don't need my help!" Thanks a lot, Mom. I struggle to get out from under Jimmy and use my scent against him. I conjure up a thick distress scent and he covers his nose and gags, giving me time to shove him off of me and bolt out the door, leaving Cas to defend himself. Sam gives me a look when I rush by him as he helps Jess out of the car before he sees Jimmy chasing after me and Castiel who is also rushing out the door with Gabriel behind him.

"Some things never change," I hear Sam say as he and Jess start walking to the door. I bolt to the tree in the back yard and jump in the air to catch a branch and pull myself up into where the tree splits into two.

"Not fair!" Jimmy says as he pants out of breath, "Just tell me why you smell like Cas! Did you two hook up finally?" Castiel shoves him out of the way and I give him my hand to grab and help him up into the tree.

"No, we didn't hook up! We're just friends!" I tell him a bit out of breath, "I think you'd know if we were to ever hook up, Jimmy!" Castiel smiles at me as Gabriel finally catches up and bends over with his hands on his knees to breathe.

"You two assholes!" Gabriel pants, "Just tell us what happened!" I lean against the rough trunk of the tree where it begins splitting as Castiel leans against its upward curve.

"I don't think so, brothers of mine. This is something I take to the grave." Jimmy mumbles something, defeated, and turns to walk back to the house.

"Fine. I'll just go get it out of Sam!" Gabriel says before following after his brother. Castiel shakes his head as he looks after them before turning his attention to me.

"You do still smell like me, Dean. Almost as if it hasn't faded at all." Castiel says as he sniffs the air. I shrug and let my leg dangle off the tree. 

"It has faded a little bit, Cas. I wouldn't worry about it," Cas lets his leg dangle, and his foot brushes mine. This split sure isn't as big as I remember it being, yet again the last time I was up here I was with Benny; we weren't necessarily sitting on opposite sides of the split though. Splinters in your ass cheeks aren't as fun as you'd think.

"How did Lisa take it? When she got home?" Castiel plays with his tie that was messed up and backward, "You brought her here so I assume everything is okay,"

"Well, Lisa was home before I was as I spent the afternoon and early evening with Sam and Jess." I look at him and he meets my eyes as he looks up from his tie. There's an awkward beat for a second and I hate it. Cas has been busy with work so we hadn't talked since that morning and, even then in the diner for breakfast, something was off about us, "So when I walked through the door, Lisa was making dinner. I set up the island and when I went to grab the fighting tools, that's when your scent hit her." Cas's face is unreadable and I look down at the grass and flowers below us.

"She didn't hurt you, did she?" Cas asks and brings my attention back to him. I can't help but laugh at his concern.

"No, quite the opposite. I had to wear my collar," I smirk and waggle my eyebrows at him and he shakes his head at me, "Several rounds that night, man. It was awesome!" I don't dare mention that Lisa had practically scent-marked me head to toe and it wouldn't take to me. Castiel gives me one of his gummy smiles and I ignore the normal flutter in my gut that always comes along with it. I was the only one to get those smiles so I always felt special when one came around.

"Well, you're welcome, Dean. I am the cause for that awesome sex," Cas winks at me and I shove the leg that wasn't dangling off the tree, making him lose his balance for a second and he falls forward and into my space. Cas looks up at me with a small glare and I grin at him, "You could have knocked me off, you ass!" He fails at trying not to laugh.

"It's not that big of a drop, you big baby!" I glance down at his lips and back up to his eyes. The air that surrounds us has some kind of warm, electrical buzz to it and the area where he accidentally marked me tingles. I hold my breath as we look at each other and a heavy hesitation settles on top of electric buzz.

"Cas! Dean! Dinner's ready!" Mom's voice calls from the back door. I glance over to where she's standing and shove Cas's face away, careful not to make him fall from the tree. Cas gets down first and helps me out of the tree, just like when we were teens, and we walk with a weighted silence to the house. This was definitely just like when we were teens, right after my first heat. Cas would come around right after school and ask if I was okay during the whole weak of my heat. I would always hear my father call him names and send him home. It was the only time he ever protected me, calling Cas a lousy, horny, good-for-nothing, knot-headed Alpha. When my heat finally subsided it was the only day Mom answered the door and let Cas in. Cas immediately took care of me, giving my weak and tired body a sponge bath, putting underwear on me before changing my sweat and heat slick covered sheets and blankets, replacing it with fresh, clean sheets. He gave me water and some pain killers for my achy muscles and helped me eat the sandwiches Mom made for us. Mom called him a true gentleman. There was an electric buzz and a weighted silence then, just as there is now. When Dad got home, he chased Castiel out of the house with his hunting rifle and he and Mom got into an argument with Dad stating false facts about an Omega's heat and bringing up crude and outdated traits of his generation's toxic Alpha's. We make our way to the kitchen and I sit down next to Lisa, and she smiles at me as I take her hand to hold it on the table.

"Jimmy! Gabe! Please just drop it!" Castiel snaps in his Alpha voice and I wince. Hearing an Alpha man snap like that always brought back memories of John. The way he would yell at me, the way he would degrade me, make me feel small and worthless. Castiel catches the distress in my scent before I cover it up so nobody else but him and Lisa can smell it, "I'm sorry, Dean." He says quietly as he sits next to me. I wish I had put my blockers on today.

"Alright, no bickering at the table, boys!" Mom says as she brings out three roasted chickens. Ellen brings over mashed potatoes and Bobby is right behind her with fresh spinach from the garden along with a big bowl of salad that's also from the garden. We all take turns filling our plates before we all hold hands, "Anybody want to say grace?"

"I'll do it," Jess says as we all join hands. I tune her out, ignoring the whole thing. Every prayer seemed the same, bless this, bless that, thank you for the food. It was boring. Cas squeezes my hand before Lisa does and I try to mask the boredom and humor in my scent. Again, the site where Cas had marked me tingles. I can trace it with my mind if I focus on it hard enough. Suddenly there's a sound of a plate hitting the floor and shattering as Jess gasps, "Oh fuck-!"

"Jess?" Sam's panicked voice says. I look across from me and Jess is gripping at her stomach, Jo is backing up, her chair scraping the floor and Sam is a ghostly shade of white and panicking.

"Ahh! I don't think I wet the bed after all!" Jess cries out in pain and suddenly Cas is on his feet running to her side, doctor mode activated. Cas easily pushes Sam out of the way and helps Jess up.

"Sam, I need you-" He looks back at Sam, who is now hyperventilating, and looks at me, "Dean, I need you to help me with her!" I get up and come around the other side, taking Jess's hand in mine, "Lisa, I need you to start a car, preferably one where Jess can lay comfortably, I need everybody else to move and clear a path for us. Jess squeezes my hand so hard something pops and I hiss in pain as Jess growls in her own pain.

"FUCK! These cramps I've been feeling aren't cramps! SHIT!" Jess was never the one to swear so hearing her use profanities like this was almost amusing. Everybody gets to work on clearing out of the way and I help Cas get Jess out of the house and to my car where Lisa has opened the back door and is sitting in the driver's seat with the engine running.

"Dean, I need you to help me get her into the back and get her settled. I'll be in the back with her." Once we get Jess situated in back everyone starts piling out of the house and into their cars. I shut the door for Cas and get in the front.

"The hospital is more than an hour away, Cas, are you sure we can make it?" Lisa says as she takes off down the road. I look back at Cas who is helping Jess breathe through the contraction.

"Cas?" He's too into doctor mode now, "Doctor Novak?" That gets his attention.

"Every labor is different from the next. Jessica may make it the hospital, or she may not. Just drive." Jess breathes in relief as her contraction fades, "If she does not, Dean, I am going to need your help." I feel the blood fade from my face and Lisa steps on the gas some more, going 50 in a 20 zone. A mistake.

"Shit!" Lisa curses as she pulls over, blue and red lights flickering behind us.

"Cas-"

"It's going to be alright, Dean. They will give us an escort and we won't be pulled over again." Lisa cranks down the window as the officer walks up.

"You know you were going 30 over the limit, right, ma'am?" Before Lisa can answer Castiel jumps in, pulling something from his wallet.

"Doctor Castiel Novak, this woman back here is in labor." The officer's eyes widen and she stammers an apology before getting back to her car and pulling ahead of us with her sirens on and lights flashing. Lisa pulls back onto the road and follows behind the cop car in front of us. I watch as cars pull over and let us through, "Jessica, how long have you been having these contractions?" Castiel asks in a calming tone. He puts out a calming scent as his face remains serious and focused.

"A-about three hours," Jess stammers and wipes at her eyes. Castiel moves a piece of hair from her sweaty forehead.

"And have they been getting closer together? I know they must be getting more and more overwhelming due to the last one you've just had."

"Y-yes. About th-thirty minutes apart now." There's an emotion that flitters across Castiel's face for a moment and he turns to me.

"We may not make it. I need a blanket, do you have anything that I can sanitize my hands with, Dean?" My mind is still processing the fact that we may not make it. That I may have to help deliver my little niece or nephew. Castiel's hand rests on my shoulder, "Dean, do you have anything I can use to clean my hands?"

"Jesus, Dean! Cas, here!" Lisa says and reaches for the glovebox to pull out the small bottle of hand sanitizer. Castiel takes it and lets go of my shoulder to quickly wash his hands.

"Jessica, I am going to need to remove your underwear. I do not have gloves. I need to feel if or how dilated you are, this will be uncomfortable as it is not in a professional setting. Dean will be my witness."

"Your what?" I ask and Lisa slaps me out of the trance I'm in, "Oh. Yeah, I'll. Yeah."

"Okay. I trust you." Jessica breathes. Cas reaches up Jess's skirt and slides her panties off before lifting her legs and propping them up on the seat and his knee.

"I'm going to feel your cervix now, Jessica. Relax for me please." Cas's hand disappears under her skirt and she makes a face. Cas pulls his hands away after a second and rubs more hand sanitizer into his skin, "You are at least two centimeters dilated. You're moving fast, too fast. Lisa, we are not going to make it." All the air is ripped out of my lungs as my body turns cold in panic, "Drive as far as you can, there's no need to stop just yet." Castiel looks at me and his professional look fades into something softer, "You'll do fine, Dean. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly," I do as I'm told.

We never make it to the hospital and the officer makes a roadblock as I help Castiel deliver my niece it the back of my car. We wrap her up in my t-shirt (Cas gave me his trench coat to wear) and Sam cries as he hugs me and Cas tightly before kissing Jess deeply and kissing Allison Mary Winchester on her tiny head. We rush off to the hospital to make sure Jessica and Allison are okay and healthy, and everyone but Sam is in the waiting room to hear if they're fine, "You did very well, Dean," Castiel says quietly. I look at where our hands brush against each other, again the spot where I was accidentally marked tingles.

"All thanks to you, buddy," I look up at him and smile, "You talked me through everything,"

"Dean, can I... Can I talk to you in private?" Lisa says as she comes over to us and grabs a cup of water from the cooler Cas and I are talking at. I look at Cas and he shrugs as Lisa drags me away.

"Is everything alright, Lis?" I ask as I watch her take a sip of water. Lisa put out a neutral scent so I couldn't tell what she was feeling as her face was also unreadable.

"Yeah, everything is fine. It's just," She breathes a laugh and looks at the floor for a second before looking back up at me, "I, well. I want a kid, Dean," My heart hammers in my chest, and Lisa wrinkles her nose at my nervous scent, "I want to get married. I want to have a family with you," Lisa says, her voice shaking a little bit, "And seeing you help deliver your niece, seeing you hold her for just a second as Jess delivered the after birth. I love you, Dean Winchester!"

"Lisa-"

"I am asking you, my sweet, charming, caring, loving Omega. Marry me?" My jaw hits the floor and I look around just to be sure I wasn't getting punked. 

"Lisa," I don't know what to say. So many emotions rush through me and mix into my scent, "I," I reach forward and grab onto her to kiss her deeply, accidentally knocking her water out of her hand. Lisa holds onto me tightly and we both smile into the kiss.

"Is that a yes?" She asks quietly as we pull back to look at each other.

"I. Yeah, yeah, it's a yes," I kiss her again and a janitor clears her throat to break us up. We laugh as she walks away to a closet to get a mop and Lisa kisses me again.

"What's with the face sucking?" Gabriel calls out and I can feel everyone's attention on us. Lisa lets me go and we make our way over to them hand in hand as the janitor mops up Lisa's water.

"We, well," I stammer but my words fail me so Lisa takes over.

"We're engaged!" Something flits across Cas's face like it did when Benny and I admitted to dating before he smiles big and comes over to hug me before everyone else rushes to hug Lisa and I.

"My oldest is finally getting married!" Mom says as she holds my face in her hands, "It's about time, Dean, I was about to ask Lisa to marry you for you!"

"Mom," I whine as she kisses my forehead before hugging me tightly.

"I've waited long enough, Dean. I want to see my son happy and married," She pulls back and smiles big, "And I want more grandbabies!" 

"Mom!" She laughs and turns to hug Lisa.

"I'm so happy for you both! I will admit, I was hoping you two would get married a little sooner, but I can't complain! I'm so glad it's you, hun!" Mom says in a pointed tone. Mom was always worried about who I'd end up with, especially if it wasn't with Cas. She always thought we would end up together, boy was she wrong. I was going to marry the love of my life. I was going to start a family with Lisa. So why did I feel guilty? I look across the room at Cas, he's on the phone, probably with Meg. His face is joyful but his shoulders are tense. I scent the air to try and see what he's feeling but he has his scent underlock, masking it with fake calmness.

"Boy, I never thought I'd see the day!" Bobby pulls me in and hugs me tight, ripping my attention from Castiel.

"Yeah, well. Proved you wrong, didn't I!" I give him a cocky grin and he slaps my shoulder as he lets me go. I look back over where Cas is and he's being ushered away by another doctor as other doctors and nurses rush past us.

"Cas?"

"I'm being called back to work!" Castiel calls as he's swept away by the sea of doctors and nurses. Just as they round the corner, Sam comes out of heavy doors with a smile on his face.

"They're both fine!" He says and comes over to hug me, "Thank you, Dean," He pats my back before letting go, "Oh, and, uh, Jess wants to know if you want your shirt back?" 

"Uh, I'd appreciate it if you washed it first," I smile to hide the grimace. Blood and whatever else was on Alli was no doubt smeared into the fabric, and, my car that I now had to clean when I got home. Sam laughs and hits his forehead.

"Oh, yeah, duh. Sorry. I've got- My mind is just all over the place, man." I smile at Sam and he looks between everyone with puzzled eyes, "What's going on?"

"Lisa and I, we... We got engaged," I smile sheepishly at my younger brother and he gasps and looks between Lisa and I.

"Oh, wow!" Sam hugs both of us and signals for everybody to follow him through the doors and to Jess's room, "Hey, where's Cas?"

"He was called back to work, well, more like dragged back." I laugh as we all file down the hallway and into Jess's room. A baby chime sounds through the building and I secretly hope it was the pup Cas was dragged off to deliver. Alli gets passed around to everybody while she sleeps and I get handed her by Lisa. She's tiny, soft, and warm, wrapped in a pink blanket with little pink mittens and a hat to match. I look at her in awe, watching as her eyes flick under her eyelids, and her nose flare at all the different scents swirling around the room, including her own warm, honey scent. Seeing her being born and watching Castiel at work really brought on baby fever and brought me out of the high from being engaged to Lisa. Alli's nose scrunches up before her eyes open and begins to water before a tiny high-pitched cry comes from her I look at Sam wide-eyed and he comes over to take her from me, making a face as he gets closer to me.

"Dean, are you okay?" He asks as we maneuver Alli into his arms. I don't say anything and I sneak my way out of the room as everyone is busy with trying to calm Alli down and help Sam and Jess. I run a hand through my hair as I fight back frustrated tears. I wanted kids, I've always wanted them, but being with Lisa I could never carry them, and that kinda hurt. It didn't just kind of hurt, it really hurt. I absentmindedly rub the place on my thigh where Castiel marked me and feel it tingle. What was with this mark? It canceled out Lisa's scent and now it was always tingling when I touch it or Cas is near or when Cas touches me briefly. I make my way to a hall bathroom and lock the door behind me, turning the water on and splashing it on my face. I really needed to ask a doctor about this.

"Dean?" I hear Cas's voice as he knocks on the bathroom door after being in there for what felt like a couple of minutes, "Dean, may I come in?" I turn the water off and look at myself in the mirror. I hadn't realized I had been crying in frustration.

"Uh. Yeah," I unlock the door and Castiel slips in, his green scrubs a bit bloody.

"Dean, you're kind of stinking up the hallway near the door, is everything okay?" He cups my chin to make me look at him when I don't answer, "Dean?"

"I... I don't know, Cas. It's just, watching you at work and helping you deliver Alli, and having a turn to hold her, and Lisa asking me to marry her-"

"Ah. Baby fever has settled in." Cas smiles at me and drops his hand on my shoulder, "It's okay, Dean. This happens to the best of us. I can't begin to tell you how many time myself has suffered from baby fever from my line of work." The spot on my thigh tingles again and I shrug out of his touch which raises concern from him, "Dean?"

"I," Do I tell him? Do I bring it up now? How would I even begin to talk to him about it? What if it wasn't normal and just brought up even more concern?

"Dean, are you alright?" I can smell my own sour scent of distress and panic over the dumb mark and it churns my stomach. I can see Castiel hold back a gag as he steps closer to me.

"I... I'm not fine, Cas. The mark, your mark-" Somebody opens the door and we both turn our attention to it.

"Uhm. Sorry," It was an Omega man, "I didn't mean to barge in here, I just really have to pee," My scent hits him and he looks at Cas, stepping further into the bathroom. His tummy is just barely rounded and he places a protective hand over it, "Is everything okay?" He asks me in a protective tone.

"Yeah, I'm just having a tough time right now. My sister-in-law just had her first pup and I just got engaged to my Alpha female. It's just a lot of emotions right now." I wipe at my eyes and try to reign in my scent, "I'm sorry, we'll leave." I walk past him and out into the hallway, Castiel behind me. I turn to talk to him about his scent-mark on me but I'm cut off when a nurse comes jogging down the hallway.

"Doctor Novak, you're needed in the delivery room!" Castiel gives me an apologetic look before he follows after the nurse. This was just great. I finally had some courage to talk to him about the stupid scent-mark and he's whisked away to work. I rein in my scent some more and make my way back to Jess's room, earning some concerned looks from everyone.

"Dean, are you alright?" Mom comes over and looks me over. I avoid her eyes and she places a hand on my cheek to make me look at her, "You want to talk about it?" I look over at Lisa who was holding Alli and sigh. Mom follows my gaze and smiles softly before leading me out into the hallway, "Alright, out with it."

"I," I look back where I last saw Cas and shake my head, "It's nothing, Mom. Cas said it was just a case of baby fever, I'm fine." Mom smiles with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"And you want to be the one to carry it," She says softly. I nod slowly, "Oh, Dean. My good Omega," She hugs me rubs circles into my back as my lip wobbles, "You can always talk to Lisa, hun! I'm more than sure she'll understand."

"I don't even know where to begin to bring this up, Mom! We've always talked about having kids and Lisa always says she's so excited to carry my pups!" I mask my vulnerable scent with something neutral, a trick I learned to do when I felt emotional around my father. He would always degrade me and tell me how I stink when I let my emotions leak into my clove scent like any other weak Omega man bitch, "I just. Mom, everyone treats me like I'm so fragile! I can handle carrying a pup!" I don't mean to snap at her but my frustration with everybody always looking at me pathetically when pups are brought up or talked about runs deep. I'm not made of glass, my body is made to carry and deliver pups! And with Castiel as an OB/GYN for people like me I knew I would be in good hands! I just wish everyone else could see that instead of looking at me like I was a jasmine flower!

"Dean, you're far from fragile!" She pulls back and takes my head in her hands, "We all worry about you because we love you. Don't let that equal out to us thinking you're weak!" She smooths out my hair and smiles at me, "You were made for carrying and delivering pups, we know this. We all know this."

"Yeah? Well, it sure doesn't feel that way." I pout and step out of her hands. Mom tries to reach for me but stops and drops her hand. Lisa steps out into the hall and smiles at me before she notices my mood.

"Babe?" I walk past her and wipe at my eyes, "Baby?"

"I'll be in the car," I grumble, "Tell Sam and Jess I love them." I make my way down the hallway and through the heavy doors into the waiting room, wiping my eyes again with the sleeve of Cas's coat. His scent is all over me, on my thigh, surrounding me in the big trench coat, on my shoulder where his hand rested, on my chin where he made me look at him. In a way, it's extremely calming. His cinnamon scent is relaxing and, as I make my way to my car, I already feel a bit better. I reach for the keys in the coat pocket and unlock the door to get in. I needed to get my head together, get control of all the emotions I was feeling all at once, and fight through this newfound baby fever. I'm sure Mom would inform Sam and Jess, probably Bobby and Ellen too. And I'm sure teasing would commence in a few days from them once everything has calmed down. I sigh and wait for Lisa to come out. I'd talk to her about my baby fever first before I ever attempted to talk about the scent-mark effects. We will talk through it and figure it out, and, hopefully, I can carry at least one pup of ours. Maybe use her brother's sperm so it's biologically related to Lisa and has her family's DNA.

*********

"Dean, do you want to talk about what happened at the hospital?" Lisa says softly as we're sat on the couch and snuggled under a blanket as we continue our Marvel movie marathon. I tense up with caution and she sits up from laying her head on my chest, "You know you can tell me anything, Dean. I'm not your father,"

"I, well. Lisa," I take a deep breath and meet here eyes fully, "Cas basically diagnosed me with baby fever. I know you've always wanted to carry my pups, and every time we talk about starting a family you're always the one that's pregnant in the scenario, but," Lisa smiles at me before finishing my sentence.

"You want to carry them, too." She says, "I get that, Dean. It's in your DNA after all," Lisa pauses and bites at her lip for a pondering second, "But, well, you know I worry about you! And Cas lost an Omega a few days ago,"

"Lisa, I'm not fragile! Please, let me carry at least one of our pups!" I beg and she sighs, "I've always wanted to carry my child, please don't take that away from me,"

"Alright. Okay. We will see, but, at the first sign of danger, Dean, I do not and cannot let you push yourself. If the doctor says it's life or death, I cannot allow you to continue. I don't want to lose you, I _can't_ lose you." Lisa runs a hand through my hair before kissing me compassionately, "You mean way too much to me, Dean Winchester. I wouldn't know what I'd do if you were to die starting a family with me." 

"So, you'll let me carry our pup?" I smile at her and she kisses me deeply.

"I will let you carry our pup." She presses her lips to my temple and I can feel butterflies tickle the inside of my stomach, "Let's just hope my dumb brothers will help us out with getting you pregnant and give us some baby batter; if not we can always shop around for a donor." Lisa kisses me again and it gets heated. Our marathon is abandoned and tuned into background noise the second she reaches into her purse for a condom. The rest of the night is a happy blur full of kisses and cuddling before we turn in for the night.

_"Well, you're welcome, Dean. I am the cause for that awesome sex," Cas winks at me and I shove the leg that wasn't dangling off the tree, making him lose his balance for a second and he falls forward and into my space. Cas looks up at me with a small glare and I grin at him, "You could have knocked me off, you ass!" He fails at trying not to laugh._

_"It's not that big of a drop, you big baby!" I glance down at his lips and back up to his eyes. The air that surrounds us has some kind of warm, electrical buzz to it and the area where he accidentally marked me tingles. I hold my breath as we look at each other as a heavy hesitation settles on top of electric buzz. Cas's scent surrounds me as I lean forward, glancing down at his lips again. His glare fades and something softer takes its place, something I haven't seen since he took care of me after my first heat._

_"Dean," His voice is gravely and soft and warm. He leans forward and my heart skips a beat as a gravitational pull pulls me closer to him. I can feel his breath puff across my lips and my own breath catches in my throat as I look into his eyes._

_"Cas," Our lips brush as I say his name and my stomach twists itself into knots before our eyes close and suddenly our lips are pressing together and closing the tiny gap between us. His lips are soft and gentle, and his stubble is scratchy as he angles his head upward and deepens the kiss. Fireworks erupt in my stomach as the knots untie and my heart hammers in my ears, tiny tingles spreading all over me and following Cas's hand as he pulls me closer by the back of my neck. His fingers tug gently at the short hairs at the base of my head and I groan into his mouth. Cas smiles against my lips and takes the chance to slide his tongue into my mouth as my lips part with another groan as he tugs at my hair again. His tongue gently flicks against mine as he claims easy dominance over me while the hand that's not buried in my hair fists my shirt and he hauls me closer to him. I lose my balance and fall forward, making him fall against the curve of the tree we're on, and he pulls me on top of him._

_"Dean," Cas breaks away from the kiss and looks up at me before moving his lips to my neck and finding my scent gland to suck and bite a bruise on it. I gasp and grind my hips against his, feeling the large bulge there and moaning, "Dean," Castiel gasps. The mark on my leg is on fire with tingles, and his hand finds it and gropes my thigh, sending the hot tingles all through my body and causing me to moan as Cas ruts up against me and pants against my neck, "Dean! Dean! Dean!"_

My eyes open and I reach over to silence the beeping alarm clock. Everything is bright even though the curtains are completely shutting out the sunlight. Lisa is already gone for work and I don't have to be to work until later, after my early morning doctor's appointment. I run my hand over my face to rub the sleep away, rubbing the crust and gunk from my eyes. My boxers are damp and my hole is fluttering, my cock hard and throbbing, "Traitors." I grumble before tossing the covers back and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed as I sit up. I have definitely got to bring this whole scent-marking thing up to my doctor today, maybe she knows what's going on.

I make my way to the bathroom and run the shower after emptying my bladder with difficulty caused by the raging boner I have from an awkward almost wet dream with Castiel. My best friend. Who has a mate. I have a mate, a fiancee. I'm going to carry a pup with my fiancee's brother's sperm, if, one of them happens to provide. I'm going to have a family with my fiancee. I am in love with my fiancee.

So why did I feel so damn guilty for being engaged? And why was I having wet dreams about Cas? Dreams that made my damn eyes glow? I shake my head to clear my thoughts and step into the shower, trying my best to keep my thoughts strictly on Lisa as I took care of things. It didn't work, not with Castiel's slowly fading scent wafting up in my face as it gets carried around me in the swirling steam on the shower. I cum with a loud shout and my vision going white around the edges as I replay the motel incident.

Stepping out of the shower, I get dressed and slap some of Lisa's blockers on my thigh to try and cover Cas's scent before slapping on my own blockers. The Alpha scent blocker works, for the most part, really dulling his scent, and I shove away the sinking rock feeling in my stomach at it. I get dressed and pour myself a bowl of cereal as I get to the kitchen. No milk. Great. I look around in the fridge for a plausible replacement and settle on orange juice. I was wrong. It was horrible. Screw it, I'll go to Gabriel's store. I rush to the bathroom to brush my teeth before throwing my boots on and grabbing my keys to go.

"Deano! What brings you in my fine establishment!" Gabriel greets me as I step up to the register.

"No milk for my cereal, and, for the record, never use O.J. as a replacement." Gabriel signals somebody to pour me a cup of coffee and he shakes his head at me.

"Dean, that's. Why would you even try that?" He asks as he grabs me a piece of his famous pecan pie and a breakfast tart, "Didn't you and Castiel try that when we were kids?" He hands me the paper bag he put the pastry in before grabbing a plastic take out container for my slice of pie. He was right, Castiel and I did try to stupidly find an alternative to milk for cereal when we found out Jimmy was lactose intolerant. Nothing worked besides soy milk. We had even tried water.

"I guess I forgot until you mentioned it, Gabe. We even tried water," The guy puts my coffee in front of me, "Thank you,"

"You also tried rootbeer, too," Gabriel smiles and shakes his head before ringing me up for only the coffee and putting a friend and family discount on it, "50 cents, kid." I dig into my pocket and take out my wallet to hand him two quarters.

"That we did, Gabe. That we did, and it was nasty." Gabriel laughs before nodding goodbye and greeting the person after me. I make my way to a table in the corner and take out my tart, humming at the burst of raspberry flavor.

"Hey," A man sits down across from me at my table and I look up at him. Something in me says to run immediately but his crystal blue eyes intrigue me to stay.

"Uh, hello?" I glance around at all the empty tables he could have sat at and then glance at Gabe for help. He nods at me and gestures to one of his Beta workers to keep an eye on our table, "Do I, do I know you?" I ask wearily. He smiles and I can see his teeth are sharpened like he was ready to mate bite somebody. I look back at Gabriel's employee with scared eyes and she grabs a freshly brewed pot of steaming coffee they kept way above regulations for creeps like the one sitting at my table.

"You don't. But if you come with me, we could change that," His voice is slimy and it makes my stomach lurch with anxiety, "My name is Cole, Cole Trenton." He grabs my wrist and I yank it back and try to stand up to get away from him but my legs fail me, my blood running icy as it pumps harder with anxiety, "Awh, don't be like that, little Omega,"

"H-how do you-"

"With an Alpha mark like that on you, there's no way you could ever be anything else." His eyes start turning feral red and my legs _still_ refuse to move. The Beta finally makes it over to us and pretends to trip, dumping the steaming coffee all over Cole, "BITCH!" Cole howls and slaps the Beta, making her crash to the floor. My legs finally become unrooted to the floor and I get up and run behind the counter and hide behind Gabriel. He may be a hell of a lot shorter than me, but he was incredibly strong.

"HEY!" Gabriel hollers and leaps over the counter to pull Cole off of the Beta. I run through the back of the store and run out of the building, rushing to my car and hauling ass out of there and to my doctor's appointment across town. As my anxiety dies down, I can't help but think over how he said _'With an Alpha mark like that on you'._ What did that mean? Aren't all Alpha scent-markings the same? Does this mean the other Omegas he had kidnapped, if he was the lead, had also been marked? I make my way into the doctor's office and check-in, not waiting long to be called and brought back to be weighed and looked over. I take out my phone and notice I have missed calls from Gabe and about a dozen texts, too, but before I could respond, the door opens and my doctor walks in.


	7. 6.

I put my phone away and smile at Ruby, "Hello, Dean. How have you been?" She smiles as she sits down in the chair across from me. Do I ask her about the scent-marking effects now or tell her about my heat suppressants seemingly not working as well anymore first? Do I mention I also rushed out of Gabe's shop in fear of my life? No, that's something for Lawrence PD.

"Well, I have certainly been better," I wring my fingers and crack my knuckles from nerves. Ruby looks at me with kind eyes and tucks her dark brown hair behind her ear as she waits for me to continue, "I'm pretty sure my suppressants are starting to fail," 

"How do you know that?" Ruby asks and folds her hands in her lap.

"Well, you see, about a week ago now, my, um," I laugh nervously and look at the ground for a second to gather courage, "Cas, I've talked about him before, well, he was having a bad day, you see, lost an Omega man while delivering the pup, so I took him out to grab lunch and hang out in a secluded spot,"

"Dean, you're stalling. Just take a deep breath and rip it off like a band-aid."

"Okay, well, you see, he um, well," I take a deep breath and look away from Ruby as my face starts turning red, "We were like, dicking around and fake moaning and well, Cas's obnoxiously real-sounding one really affected my Omega," I say the last the part in a rush and glance at Ruby who still has a professional facial expression on. God this was so embarrassing! I look up when Ruby doesn't say anything and she smiles at me.

"Is... Is that why you don't smell like your Alpha, Lisa, anymore? And Cas? Is he who I'm smelling on you?" All the air rushes out of my lungs as a crushing weight settles on my shoulders. Maybe I just didn't realize it, maybe I was subconsciously ignoring it, but Ruby was right. Lisa's scent wasn't on me anymore, and maybe that's why Lisa rushed to propose to me. It felt rushed anyway, proposing in a hospital with no ring. Our scent bond _is_ so faded that you have to concentrate on it to sniff it out, but, right now that wasn't the case. I had blockers on, which I normally don't when going to doctor's appointments.

"I, well, no. Lisa and I are actually engaged now." I stammer out. Ruby's professional face twists into confusion and I spill my guts to her about the big details and why I smell like my best friend. Ruby takes it all in and nods as she processes and follows my story along. I don't leave out the detail of Castiel making my eyes glow, and I don't leave out how he's the only one to ever make them glow, now that I think about it. I tell her about how the scent-mark on my leg tingles and how, no matter how hard Lisa tried to scent mark me, Castiel's scent would make it mute. I also don't leave out how that caused fights between Lisa and I. I unload onto Ruby, a fountain of word-vomit, and she follows along without judgment, "But I love Lisa, Doc, I love her so much! I love her more than anything, and- I'm just so confused!" Ruby purses her lips for a second before finally speaking.

"Dean. I can prescribe you new heat suppressants, but," She pauses in consideration of everything I just spewed onto her, "I think something more is going on here," She leans forward in her chair, "And, on a more personal note, I'd talk to Lisa and Cas to figure this whole mess out before somebody gets hurt, 'cause it kind of sounds like you may have feelings for Cas," She holds her hand up to keep me from protesting, "Scent-marking is personal, accidental or not, and, they all have certain effects on us. Especially if feelings, known or unknown, are already there." My blood runs cold and a nervous sweat breaks out on my back. I feel sick with all the emotions that shatter over me, like an old fragile teacup, splintering around me as it shatters, "But," She leans back in her chair, "Since that's on a personal note and not a doctor's note, what you do is up to you." Ruby takes out her pad and scribbles something down, "I will warn you that you will have a heat because of switching medications. You could possibly have two, but, that is rarer. Having two would put you in a 1 in every 1,000th margin. Take care, Dean," She stands up and gives me a warm smile as she hands me the piece of paper, "Call if you have any concerns or side effects, and, for the love of God, be smart about your situation and talk to the both of them at some point!" I stand up and she walks me and back to the waiting room. There are so many thoughts swimming around my head from gaining that tiny bit of knowledge about scent-marking. Did I _really_ like Cas? I had always thought about Cas as nothing more than a friend, except for maybe my first heat and the more recent intimate thoughts and scenes that played out in my head while I took care of business as he stupid scent engulfed me from the mark on my leg. If I _really_ liked Cas, wouldn't I have noticed by now? Unless they're new feelings, but, I was dating Lisa. I was engaged to Lisa.

"Well, hey there, Dean!" Missouri's voice rings cheerily from across the parking lot and takes me out of my thoughts. I stop and turn around to greet her as she fast walks over to me.

"Missouri," She smiles at me when she reaches me, "How are you?"

"I was sent to ask you the same thing," She looks me over and moves a dark ringlet from her eye, "Gabriel called Lisa when he couldn't get a hold of you, but she was busy with a parent so he left a message for her and called Cas next, and, well..." She laughs lightly and shakes her head, "You know that boy had to send me to make sure you were alright when you didn't answer his calls," I take out my phone and check it. 25 missed calls and over 40 texts from Cas alone. 5 calls from Lisa and 6 texts. Gabe had called me 6 times and texted me 13 times. I was going to catch Hell later from all three, "Both of those boys are worried about you, hun, are you alright?"

"I'm okay, obviously, but," What I wasn't allowed to say to anybody was that Cole was a possible lead, but, what I could say was how creepy he was, "Some douche-canoe at Gabriel's shop this morning, well, I'm pretty sure was one of those abusive, feral Alphas." Missouri looks panicked for a moment but composes herself, "He. Missouri, his teeth were," I take a deep breath to calm the anxiety that starts rising, "They were ready to bite,"

"Oh, Dean!" She pulls me in for a hug, "I'm so happy you're alright," I hug onto her tightly as the event from Gabriel's shop replays in my mind. If it weren't for Gabe and that brave worker, I'd probably be... Well, I'd learn if he was the lead or not. Missouri rubs soothing circles and hushes me and that's when I realize I had started crying, "You're alright, Dean. You're going to be okay," She pulls back and holds onto my shoulders to ground me, "Do you want me to follow you home? Or maybe to the police department building to report this?" I nod my head and take a deep breath.

"I also need to go to the pharmacy to put in a prescription," I wipe at my eyes as I try to calm myself. Missouri nods with a warm smile.

"Yeah, okay. I can follow you and we can do that." She gives me a soothing hug before letting me go and I get in my car. I lock all the doors before settling into my seat and starting the engine. I make my way slowly over to Missouri's car and we leave for the pharmacy first. It's easy enough, handing over the paper with my new heat suppressants scribbled down. It's only a 10-minute wait and Missouri is fine with waiting. After I get my medicine, Missouri follows me out and walks me to my car so we can head over to the police.

On the way there, Cas calls me and I answer it, "Dean! Oh, thank fuck!"

"What, you worried I was dead or something?" I try to downplay this serious situation and I can practically feel his glare through the phone, "I'm sorry. I should have gotten back to you right after my appointment. I haven't even told Bobby what's going on,"

"He already knows."

"You called him, didn't you," The silence on the other end gives me my answer, "Cas, what do you think he could possibly do?

"I don't know, tell me you're _alive,_ tell me you made it to work _safely!"_

"I'm sensing some very worried vibes from you, Alpha," I can hear him sigh heavily.

"Dean. You are my best friend, why wouldn't I be worried!"

"Lisa only called me five times. Gabe only called me six times,"

"Well, they're clearly bad Alpha's."

"Cas, you called me 25 times, that's overkill!" Castiel stays quiet, "Technically this is your 26th call."

"I know, Winchester. I worry." His scent-mark tingles lightly and I bite my lip. Is this where I bring it up? On the phone? While I have him? Do I bring up what Ruby said? Do I tell him everything right now?

"I know you do, Cas. I can't blame you," Does the mark also affect him? Does Cas feel something? Does he feel anything? I should have asked more questions about scent-marking, "But, I'm alright. Kinda shaken up about it though, the bastard, Cole, he... Cas, his teeth were ready to bite, and if it weren't for your brother and that amazing Beta, well. I'm not sure what would have happened, and I don't particularly want to think about it." I hear something smash and a faint growl from Castiel's side.

"THAT BASTARD!" My heart does a heavy thud twice and anxiety makes the tips of my fingers and toes tingle for a second when Castiel's snarl peaks the phone's speaker.

"Cas, it's fine! I'm fine! Missouri is following behind me, we are going to the police right now to deal with it, please," My voice is shaking. The angry puffs of breath coming from Cas are bringing back childhood trauma from when John would get angry at me, "Cas, calm down! For me?" There's a long pause before he speaks again.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Cas says in a calm and quiet voice. A silence falls over the call and I take it to gather the courage to bring up the mark.

"Hey, Cas?" He hums in answer, "I... The mark, your mark, it-" There's muffled talking on the other end.

"Dean, can we talk about that later? I'm being dragged back to work." More muffled talking and something that sounded like a taunting laugh.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, no we can talk later," I mentally slap myself. Every single time I get the courage, or, the time to bring up the stupid mark, something interrupts us.

"I'll try to call you when I have time, Dean," 

"Yeah, alright, bye, Cas."

"Goodbye, Dean." I swear I could make out some of the teasing and taunting and it almost sounded like my name, "Shut u-" The line goes dead as Cas hangs up. He kind of sounded... Annoyed? Embarrassed? Both? This only raised more questions. Why was Cas being teased? Was he being teased about me? If he was, what was it about? Did he tell his coworkers about the scent-marking? I shake my head and pull into the police department parking lot.

"I can go in for moral support, Dean, but I can't speak on any of this as I wasn't there," Missouri says as she meets me at the doors. I nod and take a deep breath before leading us inside.

*********

Missouri honks as she passes me when I pull into work. I'm later than I had originally planned but I can tell Bobby is more relieved that I arrived safely, "Dean," Bobby starts, "Boy, am I glad to see you're alright!" He yanks me in for a hug and Crowley and Benny come over to check me over as he lets me go.

"I'm fine, guys! Gabe and his employee protected me." Crowley ticks his tongue.

"Your Alpha, sweet, caring, protective Castiel, called us up all frantic. We were thinking the worst, and you come in with an _I'm fine?"_ Crowley punches my shoulder lightly, "You don't get to do that, you go into detail about what happened!"

"I'd really prefer not to," I rub my arm and take a breath through my teeth. Benny puts a gentle hand on my shoulder and I look up at him.

"And you don't have to, brother, but just know that when you are ready, we are all here for you," That's what I liked about Benny. When something is serious, like this, he won't pressure you into talking about it and will wait for you to come to him to talk when you're ready. It's what made me fall for him shortly after my father died. Benny was patient, kind, caring, generous (especially in bed), and just an overall fantastic man. I wish we had parted on a different note. Long-distance relationships were hard enough already, but meeting who you think may be your true mate, which they turned out not being, on a lonely night in the old college campus library makes things even more difficult. He had driven straight to me after it happened. He apologized profusely. He cried. I cried. I kicked him out of my house then ran to Castiel, who I then had to stop from possibly killing Benny. I had never smelled such anger before, not even on my father. His Alpha completely overtook him, dangerous red eyes, his teeth, and, his nails grew pointed and were ready to rip and tear my ex apart. It was kind of sad to see him like that, so angry and feral at his once best friend. Surreal, even. Castiel and Benny were genuinely close at the start of my and Benny's relationship but once we had stopped messing around and started to date, Castiel got irritated. Castiel and Benny started to fight and neither would tell me what about, and I never pushed on the subject because of how touchy it was to them. As our relationship went on and high school turned into college, they had completely stopped talking to each other.

"Thank you, Benny, for being the only one here with a strip of decency," I give a pointed look at Crowley in fake offense and he puts his black grease-covered hands up.

"Okay, if that's how it's going to be, fine. Don't let me care about you," We all laugh lightly and start walking further into the shop after I punch in my card.

"So, what's happening today?" I ask as I follow behind Benny. He steps into the little closet we have to grab the testing kits before jumping into the car and hooking things up.

"This one is an inspection. Bobby and Crowley are working to replace an old lady's front breaks, and Jimmy Novak has had some problems with oil leaking so he is coming in later today."

"I assume later means well after we're closed?" I take a look at the back tires and can tell just by looking at the treads they're going to need replacement in a few months, "These are going to need replacing soon, but they're alright."

"I don't know, Dean. He's your friend, you tell me," Jimmy, though we've grown up together and hung out plenty of times, was never a real friend. Kind of like Gabe. We talked, and we texted sometimes, but it's one of those situations where if I didn't know Cas I wouldn't talk to them. Like the family members you never talk to unless you're together at the same birthday party, or, if they happen to text first.

"Well, I know his brothers are busy, so we'll more than likely get overtime out of this." A part of me hopes Castiel can somehow tag along so we can have the conversation the universe keeps trying to prevent us from having. Another part of me wants to never have the conversation because this is just all too confusing and frustrating. Ruby said scent-marking has effects on everybody. Does that include the person who left the mark? Does Castiel feel anything? Where would he feel it if he did feel anything? My thigh tingles lightly as I move to check the front tire treads. The left tire looks flat so I dig my thumb into it and the tire caves a bit, "HEY BOBBY!" I shout across the garage at him to get his attention, "Our air compressor get fixed yet? This tire is flat." I pretend I have an itch and rub at the tingles until they fade away as I wait for Bobby to come out from beneath a car he had abandoned Crowley for. I think it's Ellen's.

"It's not fixed yet, but it's workin' today," he goes back under and I walk around and over tools that are scattered on the floor and avoid stepping in an oil puddle. The tingles are back, giving heat this time, and I dig my palm into my thigh once I know nobody is looking. I take out my phone and bring up Cas's messages.

_D: Cas, you free to talk right now?_

I really needed answers about this dumb fading mark on my leg. I put my phone back in my pocket and grab the air hose and walk back to the car Benny and I are working on. My pocket buzzes.

_C: I'm trying to take a quick nap before I am needed again, but yes. I can talk._

It's rare when Castiel takes naps while working and I feel bad for interrupting him. I wanted answers, but the small courage I had to text him vanishes, and guilt replaces it.

_D: Nevermind. Take your nap and deliver some babies, Cas. It's nothing too important. It can wait._

_C: K_

_D: Before I let you go, are you coming with Jimmy in case his problem is bigger than a simple oil leak or is Gabe?_

_C: I would if I had the time. I'm going to take my nap now, Dean._

_D: Alright. Have a good nap, Cas._

"Dean, get off your phone!" Bobby's command makes me jump and I scramble to catch my phone as it leaves my hand. I tuck it back into my back pocket and bend down to unscrew the tiny cap of the tire before filling it with air. I watch as the air fills the tire and slowly raises it as I rub at the heated tingles to try and get them to go away but it's no use. Does this have something to do with Cas? These warm tingles are almost like the ones in the stupid wet dream I was having, just less intense. What does that mean? What does any of this mean? Does Castiel even know any of this is happening to me? Is he having anything similar? I hate this. I hate not knowing. I hate never getting to talk about it. I hate never having enough courage to bring this up.

"Hey, Dreamer! You going to answer me or?" Benny says waving a hand in front of my face. I blink and look around. I had been in my head all day, going through the mothions, and now it was just about time to close, "Dean, brother, are you okay up there?" Benny taps his temple, "You ain't said much all day and I'm getting worried about you."

"I," I can't believe how long I had been lost in my thoughts, "I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind, y'know?" Benny studies me for a second, "If it makes you feel any better it's not about what happened this moring."

"Is it bout Cas?" I choke on air as Benny and I walk to the office and sit in the worn out leather chairs.

"How did you-"

"You've been rubbing at your thigh all day, Dean, and you've mumbled his name once or twice." _Shit._

"Yeah. I uh. I just have so many unanswered questions, especially after what my doctor said about scent-marking." Benny crosses arms and gives me a paitent look so I spill everything to him, but leave out the wet dreams and other intimate things.

"Well, Dean. I have to agree with your doctor," I run a hand over my face and sigh, "You shouldn't let this go on for long, you do need to talk to them both before somebody gets hurt," Benny leans forward and lowers his voice as Crowley comes into the office to punch out, "I'm going to be honest here, Dean. I don't think I've ever heard of a scent-mark that can't be covered up like you've said Lisa has tried to do." Before I can say anything, Gabe and Jimmy walk through the door after Crowley leaves with a small _goodnight_.

"Oh thank God, you're alive and well, Dean!" Gabe says as he checks me over, "I am so sorry about this morning! I promise you, he will never step foot in my bakery again!" I stand up from the chair and Gabriel pulls me into a protective hug.

"Gabriel informed me of what happened, Dean. I am so glad you are safe and unharmed," Gabriel lets me go and Jimmy yanks me in for a quick hug.

"Well, if it wasn't for Gabe, I'd. Well, I'm not sure what would have happened," I lead everyone out to Jimmy's car as Benny heads into the garage to clean up a little bit.

"Alphas like him, they just," Gabriel says through his teeth, "They deserve to be put down!"

"Gabe!"

"It's true, Jimmy! I've seen this three times to know that the rehab they get sent to never helps! Ferals are ferals, there's no help for them!" Jimmy hands me his keys and I get into his car and start it up, already I can tell it's not just an oil leaking problem by the loud knocking, it almost sounded like a tractor lawnmower. Gabriel and Jimmy keep bickering as I slowly pull into the garage.

"Go ahead and pop the hood, Dean," Benny says as he comes around a corner, wiping his hands on a grease rag. I cut the engine and pop the hood. Benny lifts it as I get out and come around to inspect the problem with him.

"Well. That don't look good." I state as I wipe at the splattered grease, "What are you thinking?"

"I have an idea, but I hope I'm wrong 'cause if I'm right, we're going to be here a while, probably even have to save it for tomorrow." Benny itches his nose, "Why don't you get in and start the engine again, Dean," I give a short nod and make my way back into Jimmy's car. Pressing the break I turn the key, "Oh shit! CUT THE ENGINE!" I turn the engine back off and come back around to Benny's side. He has a couple of oil splatters across his face and he wipes them away, "Well. That confirms my theory."

"We thinking the same thing?" I ask and Benny nods.

"Let's get to work," Benny turns to get tools and I walk to the office to tell Gabe and Jimmy the news. Jimmy swears under his breath but thanks me before he and Gabriel leave out the door. I stick my head into the garage to let Benny know I was going to search the graveyard for parts, "Alright, brother." It was going to be a long night.

*********

By the time I get to talk to Castiel on the phone again his scent-mark is barely on me anymore, Being busy with helping a whole new generation come into the world safely, and, being busy with repairing and inspecting cars, left us no time to talk in person or over the phone. He calls me when I'm hanging out with Jess and helping her with Alli, "Castiel," I smile as I answer my phone and carefully maneuver Alli back over to Jess, just in time, too, if the gurgle in her tummy is anything to go by.

"Dean, I finally am able to talk about-"

"Your mark," I absently rub the faded spot. A small part of me was sad that it was so faded now, but I was happy it was almost gone. Lisa and I were planning our wedding, Castiel had mentioned over texts that he had started saving up to get Meg a ring. Things were great; I just have to ignore the guilt I felt while planning the wedding with Lisa.

"Yes, you keep trying to talk to me about it, what is it?" I glance over at Jess before making the decision to get up and walk to the sliding door to the back yard for some privacy. I wasn't prepared at all for this call in the middle of the day.

"Yeah, uh. Shit." I rub the back of my head and pace back and forth, trying to get an ounce of courage to properly voice what had been going on.

"Dean? Are you alright?" _C'mon, you coward! Say something! Ask something! Anything! Do something!_

"I," I take a deep breath, "Cas," I can't gather the courage. For the life of me, I can't even get a gram of courage.

"Dean, you can tell me anything, you know this. I will never judge you, belittle you, gaslight you... I'm nothing like the Alpha who failed you as soon as you presented Omega."

"I know that, Cas, but,"

"Would you like me to go first?" My heart stops. My feet stop. My lungs stop working. Time itself seems to stop, "I know for certain that through the marking I could feel your emotions, Dean. And I know how confused you've been, and I want to formally apologize for ignoring this, for ignoring you." My jaw drops as a rush of emotions wash down my back in a cold sweat.

"You," I swallow my nerves, "You felt things? You felt my feelings?"

"Yes, Dean. And it scared me just as much as it's scared you," I can hear Meg's voice in the background, "Shut it, Meg," His voice is playful and embarrassed and I can hear her laughing. I really hope it was just emotions and not physical feelings, but I'm too scared to ask for further information on it.

"So, it wouldn't be weird if I told you about the tingles?" I ask, my voice small and weak as I wait for the backlash that doesn't come. Castiel is not my father, there would never be any backlash or verbal abuse and I hate having to constantly remind myself of that. 

"No, Omega. It wouldn't be weird, so by all means, tell me." The floodgates open and I tell him all about the tingles, I explain them in detail, I explain when they happen, aside from the wet dreams and intimate times when alone in the shower or bedroom, and he listens without judgment in his voice. Something Lisa had failed when I had talked to her about it.

"The ones I don't understand the most are the ones with warmth behind them," Castiel coughs and clears his throat as Meg whispers something, "Cas?"

"I'm not sure either, Dean. I do know, however, that ones that happen when I am near are happening because I am close to you. It's a reaction to me and nothing more," He pauses and I can hear him talking to Meg now, "The ones that happen randomly when I am away, happen when I am thinking about you,"

"You think about me, Alpha?" I tease him and I can hear Meg laugh, indicating that he's blushing, "So I'm guessing you're getting information out of Meg, huh?"

"I may have marked her a couple times," I instantly shove the jealous feeling that comes up at that into a box with a bolt-lock, padlock, and complicated combination lock on it, and, shove it under all the crap John put me through.

"So, I'm guessing I'm on speaker so she can hear me and give you input?"

"Hey, Dean. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Meg says, "Cas and I were going to grill up burgers and hotdogs tonight, why don't you and Lisa come over?"

"I would also like to see how Jess and Allison are doing, you could bring them along as well. I know Sam is busy with the abusive Alpha case, otherwise, I'd say to bring him, too." Castiel pauses and I hear Meg whisper something, "Don't forget to bring wine and your bathing suit, Meg misses your body. You already know her offer."

"Don't objectify me, Meg." I shake my head with a smile. It wouldn't be the first time she's brought up being Polyamorous with her and Cas, but she respected my decline and only jokes about it now.

"I can't help it, Dean, Omega or not, you're pretty." Meg teases and I can feel my face heat up.

"So when do we come over? Five?" I swiftly change the subject and I can hear Meg's smirk as she talks.

"Four if you want to be early and talk more about this little incident of yours and Cas's, five if you're a coward."

"Meg!" Castiel gasps.

"You two need to talk it out! Have you even told-"

"Just come at five, Dean," The call ends with running footsteps and a few crashes and bangs. I wanted badly to talk about it, to arrive at four, but Castiel told me to come at five and with my second ever heat coming soon it was hard to disobey an Alpha. My alarm on my phone chimes to take my new heat suppressants and I silence it before taking out the little foil packet the pills come in, push one out of its little plastic bubble through the foil, and pop it into my mouth and swallow it.

"Dean, is everything alright?" Jess asks as the sliding glass door opens. I turn to her with a small smile, "You've been out here for a while on the phone," She says as she readjusts Alli, who is feeding from her breast.

"Yeah, everything is alright, Cas and I talked a bit about the marking," I pause and follow Jess back into the house. Jess leads me into Alli's nursery and she sits in the rocking chair next to the crib. I remember helping Sam put the furniture together, I swear it almost ended our brotherly friendship and almost started a brotherly war. Stupid IKEA. At least it looked good. I pick up the soft, gray-blue elephant I got her from it's resting place in her crib, "So, if you're up to it, Meg and Castiel invited you and the baby over for dinner at their house along with Lisa and I," I turn the elephant over in my hands, not looking up from it. I was still internally battling myself with arriving at four to talk to Cas and maybe even Meg. What was Meg talking about before Cas ended the call? What _wasn't_ Cas talking about? What hasn't he told me?

"I'd actually love to go to dinner," Jess says, "I haven't had the pleasure to leave the house since Alli was brought home besides little check-ups," I finally look at Jess and put the elephant back in the crib, "She loves that thing, by the way, Dean." Jess smiles.

"Well of course she does. It's from her favorite uncle!" I grin and Jess shoves at me with her foot.

"You're her only uncle, Dean." Jess glares playfully and begins to rock in the chair, "So what time is dinner?"

"Five. Do you need a ride?" I ask. With Sam working late into the night on his case I knew Jess wasn't getting much sleep while tending to Alli during the middle of the night.

"That's a kind offer, but I'll be fine. I was going to kick you out and catch a nap while Alli goes down for her own." Alli yawns on queue and goes back to nursing.

"Oh, Jess, you don't have to kick me out of here. I could tend to Alli while you sleep," Jess chews her lip while she thinks for a second and finally nods.

"Yeah, alright. I do need more sleep than she'll ever allow," Jess yawns, "Wake me when it's time to leave?" Jess asks as she tucks herself away, "She'll be hungry when she wakes up, I have pumped milk in the fridge. Run it under hot water, never microwave it!" Jess points at me, "And test it on your wrist! If it's hot on your wrist, you let it cool for a few minutes before trying again." Jess starts to burp Alli and rock her some more.

"Jess, I helped Mom with Sammy, it may be a long time ago, but I've got this. Alli will be fine," Jess gets up slowly after a few minutes of burping Alli and I step to the side so she can put her down in her crib carefully so she doesn't wake up, "Go get some sleep. I'll stay here with her." I usher her out of the nursery as she goes into mother mode and tells me where everything is and what I might need. I relax in the chair that's on the other side of the crib and put my feet up on the matching ottoman and start scrolling through my phone quietly after texting Lisa that Castiel and Meg invited us over for dinner, and to bring her bathing suit if she wanted. I personally loved hot tubs so long as they weren't in a hotel. I worked at a hotel for a summer once during my junior year in high school. I knew what went on in those hot tubs. I shudder thinking about it and scroll through my Facebook feed. 

When the time comes to get ready to go to Castiel and Meg's, I had already changed Alli's diaper three times and fed her twice. I buckle her into her car seat and poke my head into Jess and Sam's room, "Hey, Jess, it's just about time to go," I say quietly. Jess takes a deep breath in before stretching and rolling over to face me.

"How's my baby girl?" She asks as she wakes up slowly. I show her Alli all buckled in and ready to go, "This is probably the most sleep I've gotten since we came home, with Sam being busy and all." Jess stretches once more before getting out of bed, "Thank you, Dean,"

"It's no problem, Jess. Gives me a chance to practice for my own pups," Jess goes over to her dresser and pulls out a new shirt.

"You and Lisa settle on a date yet?" Jess asks as she walking into the bathroom off their bedroom and leaving it open a crack for conversation. Lisa and I had discussed several possible wedding dates but we have yet to agree on one.

"Uh, not yet. We have a few dates in mind though," Jess comes back out in the shirt she pulled out of the dresser, and, throws her hair up into a ponytail before coming over and taking Alli from me. She kisses my cheek and walks us out of the house, "What was that for?" I ask as she clicks Allison's car seat into place and wiggles it just to be sure.

"A thank you," Jess says as she shuts the van door, "With your brother being so busy and invested in this abusive Alpha case, I really have no help around here. I do get it, though. Abusive Alphas bring out his hyperfocus because of your father." Jess smiles sadly before getting into the driver's seat.

"You want me to give him a big brother talk? Make him work from home?" I offer as she cranks down the window and Jess laughs and shakes her head, "I'll do it!"

"No, Dean. I'm fine on my own, this case is important to him. Once it's over he'll be a full-time dad." Jess starts the engine on her van and slowly rolls into the street, "I'll see you there!" I watch her drive away before I reach into my pocket for my keys. I still needed to get wine but I had no idea what brand name or flavor to get. I jump into my car and take off toward the grocery store.


	8. 7

Bottles of raspberry and a strawberry summer wine in hand, I walk to the backyard gate and open it, "Dean!" Meg rushes over to me and wraps around me in a tight hug, "You coward," She pulls back and looks at me with a raised eyebrow, "I thought for sure you'd be here at four." I pass the wine to her with a shrug.

"Cas said to be here at five, and with switching heat suppressants it's hard to disobey an Alpha with an upcoming heat." Meg starts to stutter an apology but I raise my hand to stop her, "It's alright. You didn't know and I haven't told anybody besides Lisa, Jess, my mom, and Bobby,"

"Do you need help, Dean? From what I understand this will only be your second heat. I could accompany you, make sure you stay hydrated, and eat," Meg walks me over to the others as she talks and I give her a thankful smile.

"That's very kind of you to offer, Meg, but I will be staying at my mom's in my old room." Castiel looks up from the grill and smiles as he sees me. 

"Hello, Dean," He says as he flips a burger, "And you brought wine!" He kisses Meg's cheek as she shows him the wine I brought, "Raspberry, my favorite!" Cas puts the spatula on the hook attached to the grill and comes over to hug me. I do my best to ignore the phantom tingles on my thigh as I hug him back, "Dean, you..." My face flushes at the realization that my oncoming heat is starting to mix into my scent. Cas pulls away and breathes through his mouth. I should have slapped my scent blockers on today.

"I'm sorry, Cas," I avoid his gaze, "I, uhm, I switched heat suppressants and by doing so I'm going to have a heat this month, and judging by your reaction it'll probably happen sometime next week," My eyes drop to Cas's hands as they fold conveniently in front of his crotch, and my Omega stirs as ghostly, heated tingles gently caress the nearly gone mark on my leg. Maybe Meg knew what the heated ones meant. I should ask her at some point, but with Jess around, I was way too shy to even think about bringing it up.

"It's okay, Dean, there's no need to apologize." I look back up at Cas and his face is gentle and caring before he turns to Meg, "Meg, why don't you get Dean my scent blockers, yours, unfortunately, wouldn't be strong enough for him to use," Castiel gives me a warm smile, "I suspect if Lisa got a whiff of you, you two would leave early," Castiel was probably right. Lisa, after all, hadn't smelled my heat scent before and there would be no doubt that it'd drive her crazy.

"Thanks, Cas," He's still breathing through his mouth as he tends to the grill and I feel bad, while I was at the store I should have thought to get blockers, "I really am sorry about not wearing blockers, I didn't think to put any on today as I was only going to help Jess out with Alli,"

"And a huge help you have been, Dean!" Jess says as she burps Alli, "Got a great nap in today," Castiel turns to look at Jess and shoves his hand in his jeans pocket. The tingles burn like they had in the dream I had a few weeks ago and I bite my lip for a second and shut my eyes as everything becomes overly bright, the slowly setting sun becoming blinding, "Oh, Dean, are you alright?" I don't dare open my eyes just yet so I nod my head and try to make my best pained face as I do my best to mute the lust that tries to make its way into my scent.

"Yeah, I just uh. Heat cramps, kind of like your period cramps but different." I feel Cas's hand on my shoulder and he gently guides me into the house. I open my eyes and look down at our feet, the light was slowly going back to normal. Cas leads me into a guest bedroom and gently forces me to lay on the bed and I shut my eyes again so he won't see the Omega gold in them.

"Meg," Cas calls as footsteps pass by the room, "We're in here," The bed sinks as Cas sits next to me and puts a caring hand on my knee.

"I leave for a minute and you have somehow brought him into bed," Meg says, "I'd say it's unbelievable, but it's you two,"

"Meg, please. Dean has premature heat cramps, now is not the time for making your 'bromance' jokes." I could hear the air-quotes in Cas's voice. Meg curses under her breath, "If you could please get him some of your heat Midol and your hot water bag,"

"Of course!" Something lands on the bed on the left side of me and Meg's footsteps fade away. Cas's hand leaves my knee and I hold back an embarrassing, needy noise. _Pathetic, whiney, Omega bitch!_ I can hear John now, _Cas isn't even touching you in an intimate way and you're already so damn needy. You are scum, Dean Winchester. Absolute scum_. I just had to tell a small lie. I roll my eyes at myself, I should have known better. Cas was a doctor so of course, he would take care of me if I said I had cramps. I hear Cas take the cap off of something and my eyes shoot open as something silky presses against my neck, I grab at Cas's wrist and he looks at me wide-eyed for a second.

"Oh, Dean, I'm sorry! I should have warned you that I was going to put my scent-blockers on you," The last of the brightness fades away fast as I look up at him. If he saw gold in my eyes, he doesn't say anything.

"Oh. I," I clear my throat, "Sorry," I let go of his wrist and he slowly drags the scent-blocker bar against my gland. I lean my head to the side so he has better access and for a split second I could have sworn I saw red flash in his eyes.

"There is no need to apologize, Dean. I should have warned you, given the trauma your father has caused you." Castiel says. John would always come into my room in the middle of the night and cake on my scent-blocker, claiming I was stinking up the whole house with Omega bitch smell. I would go to school with white stripes down my neck, even though scent-blockers go on clear when applied properly. Cas gently grabs my jaw to turn my head to the other side and applies the blockers to my other gland, "There. All done." He puts the cap back on and sets the blocker on the nightstand next to the bed. Cas puts a hand on my forehead, moves it to one cheek, and then the other, "Well, Dean. I'm in no way a professional when it comes to heats, but, your body temperature is rising already. I'd say you'll have it within the next few days and not next week," I have no idea what to say so I just look at him as my face turns red.

"All I am saying is we could totally pull off a poly relationship if you change your mind, Dean Winchester," Meg says as she comes in with everything Cas had asked her to get, and Castiel quickly takes his hand away. Meg places the rubber pouch on my lower abdomen and I tuck it under my shirt for good measure. It's warm and applies just the right amount of pressure and I knew it would definitely help if I actually had cramps.

"I'm not adventurous, Meg. I get jealous easy, plus Lisa would never agree," Castiel helps me sit up so I can take the Midol Meg hands me with a glass of water, "Besides, to be in a poly relationship means I have to like the both of you and, as close as friends we are, I couldn't see us all dating," I pop the pill in my mouth and chase it down with water, ignoring the feeling of telling a lie. I was still so confused about what Ruby had said, _"_ _feelings, known or unknown,"_ but I knew one thing for sure. Castiel was just a really close friend.

"Oh, don't be like that, Dean! You could learn to love us both," Meg winks at me and Castiel shakes his head.

"My Omega, leave the poor man alone," Castiel chuckles, "Besides, I would think I would get a say in this topic," Meg looks like she wants to say something but Cas gives her a small glare, "Alright, I have a grill to attend to before things burn if they haven't already. Meg, why don't you come out and help me? Pour the wine maybe? Get som grape juice so Jess doesn't feel left out," Cas leads Meg out of the room, "Come out when you're ready, Dean." He smiles at me before walking out of sight. I swallow dryly as butterflies start to rise in my stomach at the realization of just how intimate all of that was. Cas putting his own scent-blockers on me, Cas telling Meg to get me medicine and a heated water bag for my cramps, even though they didn't exist. Cas helping me sit up so I can take the heat Midol I didn't need... Cas feeling my temperature and giving a guess on when my heat would start. I run a hand down my face with a heavy sigh. _Cas is just a friend._ Cas is just a really, really good friend. So why do I have to keep reminding myself of this? I stare up at the ceiling until I hear a knock on the open door.

"Cas told me you were having premature heat cramps?" Lisa says as she stands in the doorframe. I've already lied so there's no use telling the truth now, besides, the truth would only lead to a fight and awkward conversations with both Lisa and Cas.

"Yeah, but they're subsiding. It's good having a doctor for a best friend, they have the good stuff." I point at the fast-acting heat Midol on the nightstand Cas had left.

"He told me about you possibly having your heat within the next few days," Lisa rubs her arm and steps into the room, "You're positive you're going to be okay at your mother's?" She sits down on the bed next to me and something inside of me crawls away from her touch as she rests a hand on my knee.

"I'm positive, Lis, it'll be better now that my father won't be there." Lisa frowns at my words and I roll my eyes, "Yes, he protected me though it, kept Cas away, that doesn't mean he wasn't downright nasty about it!"

"I think your too hard on what your father did. He did his best-"

"YOU WEREN'T THERE, LISA!" Tears spring to my eyes as I push her hand away from me, "My father was a goddamn rotten Alpha from the time I presented Omega to the time he took his last breath!"

"Dean, that's not what I meant!" Every nerve ending in me wanted to vanish before Lisa and run to Cas for comfort but I ignore it, "I don't know what he did during your first heat, but, Dean, you have to remember being in heat or rut hightens your emotions!" 

"Lisa. John would stand outside my door and go on and on about how I failed him. John would even open my door and just stand there with angry, disappointed eyes as I tried my damnedest to get even a minute of sleep before the next wave of heat overtook me." I mask my emotions with a deadfish stare and Lisa stares at the hardwood floor, "He took the... Toys... I needed away from me and cut them up. Did he protect me from Cas in my most vulnerable state? Absolutely. But he was a rat bastard during my entire heat." Lisa slowly looks up at me and there's tears in her eyes.

"I didn't know, Dean. I'm sorry." Lisa stands up and walks to the door, "I'll give you space and go back out, Meg is pouring wine, and Jess could use some company."

"I'm sorry for yelling, Lis. It's just," I sigh and blink back tears, "John is a touchy subject, y'know? He never put his hands on me, or on Sammy, but he did make the both of us feel like shit." Lisa looks over her shoulder at me.

"You can talk to me about it at any time, Dean, you know this."

"I know, I promise I will sometime." I watch Lisa leave out the door. I should join them all back outside but it's only been a few minutes and the warm water bag was comforting in some way. I lean back in the guest bed and rest my eyes. I'd go out when the rubber water bag was cold.

"Dean?" I should have seen that short nap coming, "How are you feeling?" I rub my eyes before I open them and flinch when I feel Cas's hand on my forehead.

"I feel fine, Cas," I open my eyes to look up at him, "Any input on my heat, Alpha?" Cas brushes his hand through my hair before allowing me to sit up and hand him the hot water bag that was now chilled.

"You haven't gotten any warmer so your heat has stopped progressing for now," Cas helps me stand up and we out to the back yard after he puts the water bag in the kitchen.

"How long have I been asleep?" I ask as I notice the grill is off and everybody has eaten already. Lisa is gone and I feel like shit about it. I shouldn't have yelled. Cas leads me over to the obscured glass and stainless steel table Jess and Meg are seated at.

"About an hour, but it's fine. You need your sleep," Cas smiles at me with a knowing glint in his eye, "It will be your second heat after how many years? I imagine you won't be getting much sleep this time either." I elbow him in the ribs.

"You creepy bastard, you were spying on me during my first heat, weren't you!" Castiel's ears turn pink and he stutters.

"I, well, you, Dean, you didn't help by leaving your light on! It's not my fault I was a light sleeper and your curtains weren't very good at keeping light in, or out for that matter! And I was worried about you!" I laugh as his cheeks turn red and sit in the chair opposite Meg.

"What are you laughing about?" I glance at Cas who is fixing me a plate of food, "What did he do now?"

"Apparently he spied on me during my first heat," Meg snorts and Cas drops a burger bun on the ground, "Blames it on my shitty light-blocking curtains,"

"Castiel Novak!" Jess teases and Cas flinches as he sets my plate in front of me, "Professional doctor couldn't stop himself from looking at a lit curtain covered window at night!"

"I was concerned! And by the way, I counted a total of eight hours where your lights were off at night for the whole week, Dean." Meg and Jessica snort and try to hide their smiles as try to hide my face and mumble thanks to Cas as he hands me a fork for the hotdogs, and, the green salad that's on my plate along with a burger with all my favorite toppings on it, "Your father, may he rot for everything he put you through, wouldn't allow me to check in on how you were doing. He wouldn't even answer me on if you had gotten something to eat, or if you were drinking enough water. All I ever got was an insult, or, an accusation for being a horny Alpha looking to knot his son. Forgive me if a lit window curtain at night piqued my interests." He pours me a glass of raspberry wine before he sits next to me.

"You... You never told me that, Cas." I stab a piece of spinach and lettuce, or maybe it was kale. It all looks the same to me. 

"Well, John would have chased me with his gun again if he ever found out if I told you that, whether it be from you accidentally saying it or a teacher reporting it to him." I look at him with a quirked eyebrow as I chew my bite of salad, "Oh, he um. John wanted tabs on me for a good two months after your first heat," Cas shakes his head and clenches his fist, "He was afraid I'd take advantage of you the minute your second heat could possibly come, even though I saved your ass from the boys in the shower room," I roll my eyes as I take a bite of my burger.

"Til his dying breath, he was sure you only fought them off to give me false security so you could knot me," I grumble around the mouth full of burger, "Is that why you were so distant for two months? I thought it was because he chased you out of the house with his loaded rifle,"

"I'm sorry, John did what? I thought you were joking the first time," Jess says in surprise. Cas and I look at each other and laugh lightly. It wasn't funny back then when it happened, but now it was kind of funny at how absurd the whole thing was. Cas was being a real Alpha when he had taken care of me after my heat, something John could never do, even for Mom. I tell my side of the story, being locked away in my room, having my toys chopped up, being ridiculed, and having to listen to my parents argue while my heat had wracked my body useless and Cas fills in the conversations I had partially overheard when I was between waves of heat. Jess's Beta smell, as dull as it may be compared to Cas's and Meg's, almost made me choke as it soured with anger, "I knew he was a fucking, excuse my language, toxic man, but I never! OH! If he were alive today!"

"Jess, it's fine! I mean sure, I have emotional trauma and Sam is a bit obsessive over putting abusive Alphas to justice, but we're fine!" Jess stares at me not knowing what to say. Her anger makes Allison cry and she starts taking calming breaths as she hushes Alli. I eat in silence as everybody looks everywhere but at me and when I've finished all the things on my plate I down the wine in huge gulps.

"Where is he buried?"

"Come again?" I choke on my wine and Jess rolls her eyes as Alli continues to cry.

"Where is John Winchester buried? I'm going to go piss on his grave!" I cover my laugh with a cough. Seriously, how did Sam end up with such a badass?

"Well, unfortunately, John was cremated, but you can pee in Mom's driveway where I _accidentally_ dropped him. We swept him up the best we could, but I suppose you could consider it where he was scattered." Cas laughs at the memory of me blatantly throwing his ceramic urn onto the driveway like I would a touchdown and I kick him under the table. At the time when I did it, it felt great. It felt freeing. As an adult now, I see how morally wrong it was to do it, especially since it hurt Mom so badly.

"Well, maybe I won't. I don't feel like answering Mary's question as to why I'm peeing in the driveway." Jess yawns and shakes her head, "Being a mother is exhausting, but I wouldn't give it up for anything," She looks down at Alli with a warm, dewy smile.

"Is that your hint that you're going to head out, Jess?" I ask as she starts easing Alli into her car seat. I feel guilty for accidentally taking a nap and missing all the fun, but with an upcoming heat, all my energy is being slowly drained from me. Jess nods before downing the rest of her grape juice from her wine glass, "I'll walk you out," I get up just as she does. 

"Thank you for the lovely evening, Cas, Meg," Jess smiles, "It's nice getting out of the house for a while," Meg stands up and hugs Jess.

"You can come over any time, Jess," Megs says as she lets go, "Especially if you bring this cutie right here!" Meg plays with Alli's tiny feet and I glance at Cas who shakes his head. Castiel stands and makes his way over to Jess.

"Thank you for coming, Jess, it has been a great evening," Castiel says as he hesitantly holds out his hand. Jess pushes it away and pulls him in for a hug.

"I never got to properly thank you for helping me bring my baby girl into this world as safely as you could in the back of a car," Jess says as she hugs Cas tight. Cas smiles as they pull apart.

"Well, Jessica, you're welcome," Cas turns and takes a look at Alli, "As different as the female birth is from the male, the process is all the same aside from the greater fatal risk men like Dean face."

"Nerd alert!" I cough before Cas goes into great detail and he turns to glare at me, "Alright, Jess. Let me walk you out before I get into any more trouble,"

"I think that's a good idea, Dean," Jess laughs before moving Cas aside and taking Alli, "Thank you again, both of you, for a lovely evening!" Meg and Cas wave as I walk Jess to her van, "So, you going to tell me why Lisa was upset when she came out of the house?" Jess glances at me as we walk.

"It's nothing, Jess." I shrug as I open the gate for her. Jess looks at me with an expectant bitch face that could mirror Sam's, "It's just a small fight over a small misunderstanding about my first heat and why this one will be different, better, even, if you ask me,"

"Because of what he did to you?" Jessica asks and I nod my head. Jess pulls the van door open, "Have you never told her about your father?"

"I've told Lis some stories about him, but not everything. I really don't like talking about him, he was a toxic, toxic man," Jess snaps Alli's seat in place and gives it a tug before she turns to me and folds her arm over her chest.

"You told me," I open my mouth to protest but she's one move ahead of me, " Sam hasn't told me nearly as much as you, and Castiel, has told me tonight. So what's stopping you, Dean?" I'm taken aback by her question. What _is_ stopping me? I know Lisa will believe me, she has before. So why don't I tell her everything John has put me through? It's not like I don't talk about it with Cas and Meg, and Jess for that matter. Jess searches my face as she waits for my answer, concern creasing her brow.

Judgment. They all listen without it.

"Well, Jess. If I'm honest with you, and myself," I sigh deeply, "You listen without judgment. I don't tell her about what John put me through because, sometimes, I feel like she's judging me, and, on rare occasions, Lisa tries justifying him. Like the time he made fun of me for falling out of a tall tree and busting my arm because he had told me not to climb it in the first place." I roll up my overshirt sleeve to show Jess where my arm hadn't healed properly because John took the cast off himself because he felt I had been in it long enough, "I love Lisa, I want to spend my life with her, but, I don't know..." Jess frowns and pulls the van door shut behind her.

"Well, Dean. It sounds like you have a bit of reflecting to do," Jess pats my shoulder before stepping away and getting into the driver's seat, "You know my number if you want to talk to somebody while you reflect, because to me," She shrugs and clicks her tongue, "I personally wouldn't marry somebody who I felt judged me while I talk about the abuse somebody put me through."

"I-"

"I know you love her, Dean. I truly understand that, but, I'd still reflect on things before leaping into something as big as marriage." Jess starts her car and gives me a warm smile as she pulls out of the driveway. Perhaps Jess was right, some reflecting would help. Layout the pros and cons of marrying Lisa while I'm at it.

"You're not leaving too, are you?" Cas's voice behind me makes me jump, "I didn't mean to scare you, Dean." I turn around to face him, "Meg and I were going to pour some more wine, maybe hop into the hot tub one last time this summer before it's time to drain it for the fall and winter," I knew I was forgetting something. Being caught up on not knowing what wine to get I forgot to swing by my apartment and grab my trunks.

"I'm down for more wine, but I'm going to have to kindly decline an offer for the hot tub," I tell him as I make my way to him, "I forgot to stop by my apartment and grab my shorts," Cas holds the gate door for me when we get to it. Meg grins as she shows off two more bottles of wine, "I didn't need to buy any wine, did I?"

"Well, no, but thank you anyway," Cas says as he closes and locks the gate behind us, "As for the hot tub, you can always borrow a pair of mine. I have no problem with it."

"I heard wine and hot tub, I'm down for both at the same time!" Meg chimes in as she uses the corkscrew to open an expensive-looking bottle of wine.

"If you insist, Meg," Cas leads me by the arm into the house, "Offer is still on the table for borrowing a pair of my trunks, Dean." I follow Cas up the stairs and to his and Meg's room. I've never actually been in their room, it's kind of... Massive. King bed with a canopy for privacy and several decorative pillows to match the light gray comforter, matching dark wood bedside tables, red mahogany flooring, a plush, white carpet under the huge bed that sticks out a foot on each side so your feet don't hit cold wood in the mornings. There's a small reading nook in the corner by the window with a small, round table between the two plush chairs; a mug with a teabag in it tells me the chair on the right is Cas's. To the left of the room, opposite the chairs, are two doors. Cas goes into one of them and flicks the light switch on, "Dean?"

"Oh, sorry, I. Your bedroom is-"

"Big? Yes, I know. Sometimes I wish there wasn't so much room, and then other times," Cas smirks as he comes back out, "Anyway, trunks?" He holds a pair of ombre blue trunks out to me and I take them. They're incredibly soft, and one of the shades of blue matches Cas's eyes.

"Thanks, Cas," I start walking to the other door and sure enough it's a bathroom, well, a half bath anyway. The same dark wood is used on the sink cabinet and medicine cabinet mirror, "Is it alright if I change in here?" I turn to ask over my shoulder and my breath catches as Cas strips his button-down shirt off, folding it neatly and then placing it on the bed. _Damn heat!_

"If you prefer privacy, I wouldn't mind, Omega," Cas says with a shrug. My knees feel weak for a second when he calls me Omega. We always dick around with the otherwise considered reserved words Alpha and Omega, always in a joking and teasing manner just to mess with others. It started as something just to irritate my father when were teens and it's just kind of stuck around. It's never meant anything. So why is it all of a sudden affecting me? _Goddamn heat!_

"Oh, I didn't know if... Yeah, I'm fine changing out here, Alpha," My mouth runs dry as Cas pulls his belt off with a small snap and I turn around as he starts undoing the button on his jeans as he kicks off his shoes, "Meg won't walk in will she?" I ask and risk a glance over my shoulder. I swear my heart stops as Cas slides his pants and boxers down. _Just a friend. He is just a friend._

"No, she had hers on under her clothes from taking a few laps in the pool earlier today," Cas catches my eyes lingering on him and he smirks, "Taking a picture would last longer, Winchester," He straightens up to step out of his jeans and boxers and I fight the temptations of taking one in a joking manner. My heart pounds as he stretches and his hips jut out as he rolls his back to crack it with a soft groan. My eyes roam all over his exposed body and I tear my eyes away from him as my blood threatens to rush south as a sharp tingle shoots down my spine and settles hot just above my waist.

"I'm sorry, Cas. I'm pretty sure my upcoming heat is getting to me," I turn away from him and hang the trunks he gave me on the long door handle of the bathroom before I start working off my clothes. 

"It's alright, Dean. I remember how you were before your first heat," Castiel laughs lightly, "Like the day you basically creamed your pants when Mr. Henriksen called your name for attendance," I pause with my thumbs in the waistband of my briefs and slowly turn to glare at Cas for a second.

"I thought I told you to never bring that up _ever_ again!" Castiel gives me a shit-eating grin as he ties the strings on his floral trunks to keep them up.

"It's been years, Dean! You can't possibly still be upset over it!" I roll my eyes at him and slide my underwear down, grabbing the trunks from the door handle as I kick off my shoes before stepping out of my bottoms. Heated tingles catch me off guard and I rub at my thigh before I step into the trunks Cas gave me to wear.

"You think Meg knows what these stupid heated tingles mean?" I turn around as I yank the trunks up and Cas turns away, "They're a bit tight," I grunt as I pull them up over the curve of my ass. Cas turns back to me and frowns a bit.

"Dean, your legs," I look down and see that the trunks don't fully cover my old self-harm scars, "I'm sorry, I'm sure I have a longer pair-"

"It's fine, Cas, it's okay," I step in front of him so he doesn't go digging in his and Meg's closet, "They don't bother me anymore," Cas gives me a small smile and taps my shoulder.

"Well, alright, let's go get drunk on wine in a hot tub!" Cas grins and drags me out of the bedroom and down the stairs by my hand and I do my best to ignore the dumb butterflies tickling my stomach.

"Well, it took you two long enough!" Meg says from the hot tub, "I was just about ready to come up there and make sure you weren't confessing life long feelings to each other without me there to support you!" Cas doesn't let go of my hand as he slows down his running to a fast walk and the heated tingles start again when he helps me up the wet steps of the hot tub. The water is just on the edge of too hot and not hot enough and Meg has set the lights to a dim pink. The jets are on high and making the water hiss quietly with the bubbles they make.

"We wouldn't do that without you, Meg," I sigh as I sit down across from Meg and she passes me a glass of wine as Cas makes his way into the tub, "Thank you," I lift my glass at her before taking a gulp, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what the heated tingles mean, would you? Because it almost sounded like you did earlier on the phone," I ask as I take a couple of sips of my wine. Cas glances at Meg and she shrugs at me.

"It's something I haven't been able to figure out myself, Dean. More wine?" She offers as she looks at my almost empty glass while she pours Cas a glass. I hold out my glass for her to fill it, "It's going to be a good night," Meg smiles as she passes Cas his glass as takes a drink from the bottle before pouring herself a glass and putting the bottle next to the other on top of the filter cover, "Fine wine, even finer men," She leans back and sighs against the jets that massage her back, "Yep. A great night." I roll my eyes at her as she playfully winks at me.

"Cas, call her off or she'll eat me alive!" I whine at him and he laughs into his glass.

"Meg, please leave him alone," Meg pouts, "Thank you, my Omega." I ignore the jealously at his endearing and loving tone in his voice when he calls Meg his Omega but when Cas glances at me I'm reminded that he can feel my emotions and I look away, "Dean, I'm not sure if Jimmy has told you, but his car is running better than ever," I'll forever be grateful that he doesn't say anything about my sudden jealousy. I'm sure it's because Lisa never uses the word like that for me. She always uses it to be it alluring, to talk dirty in bed.

"Well, I'm glad. Took a lot of my time to fix it," I take a few gulps of my wine, "Yeah, wasn't just a leaky oil pan," I sigh and Castiel raises his glass to his lips to take a sip of his wine.

"It wasn't?" Cas asks and Meg snorts, "What?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know much about cars but your brother's car clearly had something wrong with it! Did you hear the way it sounded?"

"Like a ride-along mower, Cas!" I tell him as he shakes his head.

"How? What was wrong with it?" I drink the rest of my wine as hold it out to Meg for more. She smiles as she leans forward and grabs the bottle to pour while I explain the long process of the many ways a crankshaft can be broken and Castiel and Meg ask more car questions as I go along. I answer them and Cas asks more specific questions and I don't hesitate to answer. We end up talking about our work and how things have been and the drama, especially at Meg's work. We end up finishing both bottles of wine between the three of us as the moon sits above us and illuminates the backyard with a ghostly blue light. Meg gets out and stumbles drunkenly down the steps as she yawns.

"Well, I'm going to bed. I feel like a raisin. G'night, boys," She two-finger solutes us and slowly makes her back into the house.

"Dean, the hour isn't too late, would you want to watch a movie with me?" Castiel slurs as he stands up and turns off the jets, "I believe I have clean sweatpants we can slip into in the dryer, but we're going to need to work together to get down the basement stairs," He holds a hand out for me and I take it and yelp as he yanks me up out of my seat. I have to grab onto his shoulders to steady myself and when I look into his eyes time seems to freeze as that electric buzz settles around us. His eyebrows scrunch together as my heart pounds against my ribcage and my blood rushes in my ears. Cas looks at my lips and back into my eyes and the heated tingles take my breath away as our faces inch forward. His lips are a breath away from my own and I can feel the electricity between us, my sight brightens for just a moment before going back to normal and there's no way in Hell he didn't see them flicker gold, "We should go conquer those stairs now, Dean," Cas swallows thickly and I step back and rub my forehead with my hand so I don't slap myself. _Castiel is just a friend. Castiel is just a friend. Castiel is just a friend. This is all because of my oncoming heat and nothing else. He is just a friend!_

"Yeah, my body feels like it's floating through space so this should be fun," I carefully make my way out of the hot tub with Cas behind me. I can't believe I almost drunk kissed my best friend. I'm glad my face was already flushed from being drunk because there would be no way of hiding the major blush. God, I was an idiot. _Stupid heat!_


	9. 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra-long chapter to make up for my absence. Life and such, ya know? I hope you enjoy.

"Well, it's not shocking, but I'm a little disappointed I wasn't invited to the cuddle party," Meg says. Cinnamon fills my nose before my other senses catch up. Cas's arm was around my back and gripping gently onto my half-clothed hip as I lay on top of him. My nose was buried into his neck at his gland, my arm is under his neck, and my other arm folded comfortably on his bare chest. My leg is partially being eaten by the couch and my other is in between Cas's legs. A soft blanket is covering us and it slides away as I slowly get up, "And it's not just pants you two are matching with either," Meg smirks as she leans on the back of the couch. I grab one of the decorative pillows to hide my morning wood as I sit at the opposite end of the couch. I look at the television and find it's repeating the movie preview menu screen, "You leaving soon or staying for breakfast?" Meg says as she wanders away from the couch and into the kitchen. When I open my mouth to respond I realize it has that cotton alcohol dryness, "You want coffee?"

"Yeah, I'll have a cup before I go," I can feel my body heat begin to rise as my impending heat draws nearer, "You mind if I use the shower?" I ask as I adjust myself in the sweatpants Cas let me borrow as I get up off the couch, holding the plush pillow to my front. I grasp at foggy memories of how Cas and I got into the position I woke up in but everything is too bleary. The only memory that is clear, however, is the fact that I almost kissed him and it burns my cheeks with embarrassment.

"You can, but if you plan on getting rid of that thing before breakfast please use the spare bathroom. I just cleaned the main one yesterday and I'd like to not have it soiled for a couple of days." Meg calls from the kitchen. I hear the coffee maker begin to brew as I enter the kitchen so doesn't have to raise her voice. I've only been in here a handful of times. It's a simple, modern style kitchen with different tones of white, black, and brown. Counters surround the glass top stove and the sink sits in the middle of the long island counter that has three barstools pushed in and out of the way. The dining table is preset with two plates, two mugs, two napkins, and the usual fork, knife, and spoon resting on top. Meg is setting up another spot at the table and looks up at me as she sets the coffee mug down.

"You, uh, mind showing the way?" I adjust the pillow in front of me and Meg nods and quietly takes me out of the kitchen. She leads me past the living room and shakes her head when we see Castiel cuddling a pillow and snoring away.

"I swear he could sleep through the world ending," Meg tisks. She leads me down a short hallway with another guest bedroom and small office space off to the side, "The towels are here," Meg opens a small cedar-wood cabinet tucked between the tub-shower and toilet to reveal fluffy white towels, "And, if you plan to relieve your... tension..." Meg closes the door to the cabinet and opens a drawer under the sink counter, "Cas keeps a bottle of his lube in here," I peek over her shoulder and fight back a harsh blush that creeps up my neck, "And if you need Omega friendly lube, I can go and grab some." Meg slides the drawer shut and gives me a warm smile, "There's no need to be embarrassed, Dean, we don't shame in this house. We offer these things so _if_ you happen to want to get rid of that," She gestures vaguely down at the pillow, "You can, and, be comfortable doing it." Meg pats my shoulder before stepping around me and closing the door on the way out. As soon as the door clicks shut I let the blush I had been fighting take over my cheeks and burn them a bright red. Cas and Meg grew up in a home where everything was talked about, sex, masturbation, heats, ruts, pregnancy, good touches, bad touches, everything. They were never shamed or judged by their parents, their fathers, especially, like I was. They were given privacy and a healthy parental relationship. I scrub a hand over my face and jump when Meg knocks on the door, "I forgot to show you how to work the water, do you need help?" I glance at the faucet and find it's just like the one in my apartment.

"I've got it, thanks,"

"Alright! How do you want your coffee?"

"Black, please!" Meg says nothing in return and I hear her quietly pad down the hallway. I turn back to the shower and debate on taking a cold one as I slowly remove the gray sweatpants Cas had given me, biting my lip as my erection slaps against my stomach. I could wait this out but it would be a while since my heat was right around the corner but I don't want to waste their water. I step out of my pants and fold them to place on the sink before starting the shower and hopping in under the warm spray, sliding the frosted privacy glass door shut. I wet my hair and grab the neutral shampoo to wash it, hissing as a small tangle being pulled sends a shiver down my spine. After I rinse the suds out, I grab the bar of soap and run it between my hands to get a thick lather before putting it back on its tiny shelf and scrub under my arms. I bite my lip as I wash my chest and run my hand over my nipples. I pinch one between my pointer finger and thumb slide my other hand down to grip my cock and give it a soft tug, soap slicking the way. My eyes flutter shut. A mistake. Like all the other times I close my eyes, Castiel's now ghostly scent on me wafts up and around me and my hand becomes his. I slide my hand up my chest to grip my neck and groan as I picture Cas behind me, choking me softly as he kisses my shoulder and tugs at my dick. I grope around blindly to open the glass door and only open my eyes to find Cas's lube. I pop the cap and drizzle a good amount onto my throbbing cock before putting the bottle on the sink and closing the shower door. I bite my lip as I spread the lube around and lean against the shower wall as I close my eyes again. Cas is back, kissing up and down my neck as his hand closes over my throat with gentle pressure.

"My Omega," I moan quietly as imaginary Cas nips at my ear, "So sensitive, so needy, so close to being in heat," I feel myself starting to slick and I blush as his hand slides down my neck, slowly over my chest and stomach, and his finger dips into my slickening hole.

"C-C-Cas!" I pant, biting my lip as imaginary Cas's finger slides deeper, his hand picking up speed on my cock. I hear him chuckle darkly as his fingertip brushes my prostate and my knees almost give out and all the air in my lungs is rushed out in a long groan, "Fuck!" A gush of slick coats my fingers and open my eyes. What was I doing? Why do I keep doing this? I was already so close to the edge, my cock twitching and drooling precum in my hand. The light is almost too bright so I know my eyes are gold, and my blood is pounding in my ears. Maybe if I just keep pumping my cock mindlessly I can finish and be done with this and bury this guilt I feel in my chest for fantasizing about Castiel. I drag my hand forward and bite back a moan as I wriggle my finger and push it deeper inside me, tapping on my prostate and letting out a sharp puff of air through my nose. I thumb at my slit and whine as pleasure sends eclectic tingles through my body. So close. I keep pumping my finger in and out as I pump my hand and tighten the grip on myself. I was so so close to the edge but nothing I seemed to do would give me the final push. I jump when the bathroom door opens and there's an embarrassed hiss.

"Oh! Shit! Dean, I'm so sorry!" Castiel's roughed up sleepy voice says quickly. I see stars as my orgasm rips through me in a shocking rush, my knees buckling a bit as I fuck myself down on my finger in shallow dips that make me hit my prostate, almost milking it, my hole trying to catch a knot that wasn't there. I pant for a second before biting my lip and it takes all I can do to not yell at this intensity as my hand becomes a blur on my pulsing cock. Between the pre-heat need and sensitivity, and, Castiel's gravely, sleep rough voice, it's all I can do to not make noise. As the waves of pleasure crash over me, I pant softly and slap my slicked hand over my mouth but there's no way in Hell Castiel didn't hear the loud, whimpering, whine that started, "Oh-!" Cas quickly shuts the door. My face burns hot as my dick twitches, rope after rope of cum hitting the wall behind the spray of water. I breathe in heavy gasps and try to calm my racing heart as I twitch in the aftershocks of my orgasm and I let go of my dick as it begins to soften. I look at the mess I made on the wall and close my eyes in shame as I grab for the bar of soap to wash my hands and wash the slick that got smeared on my cheek when I covered my mouth. The bathroom door opens again and I freeze, trying not to pant for breath as I continue to wash my body, "Dean, I'm sorry. I know this is awkward, but if I don't pee now I'm going to explode." Castiel says and I hear the clink of the toilet seat going up and resting against the tank. 

"Could you pass me some tissue, Alpha?" I ask as I finish washing, biting my lip and shivering as I wash the slick away from my overly sensitive ass.

"Of course, Dean, just... Let me finish peeing." I rinse my body and rinse what I could of my mess off the wall before turning off the water while Castiel relieves himself, "I really am sorry for walking in on you, Dean. I didn't realize you were uh... so close... kinda funny if you think about it, the last time-" I look up at the ceiling and shake my head.

"Can we _not_ talk about me cumming, Cas?" I whine and pinch the bridge of my nose. Castiel flushes the toilet and puts the lid down and I open the frosted door of the shower to take the tissue his casted shadow had been holding out.

"I'm sorry." He says softly and very obviously looks anywhere else but at the rest of the mess on the shower wall. I scoop up as much as I can and Castiel puts the lid up on the toilet, "It's natura-"

"I know." I step out onto the bathmat and walk around Castiel to toss the used tissue into the toilet and grab more toilet paper to get what I couldn't with the first wad of tissue.

"It's normal to-"

"Cas, if you could wash your hands and be on your way," I say pointedly, my face heating up as I feel his eyes on me, "I know you probably just want to shower next, but the air in this room right now is uncomfy."

"Right, sorry. It's just, you seem embarrassed by it, and you really shouldn't be," Castiel says quietly as he washes his hands.

"Goodbye, Castiel." Castiel pulls out a spare Alpha scent blocker from the medicine cabinet along with a spare toothbrush and mini toothpaste tube and places them on the sink before putting the lube away.

"Sorry," He bows his head and leaves the bathroom as I toss the used tissue into the toilet and flush it. I grab a towel from its storage and towel off before slipping on the sweatpants again and grabbing the scent blockers. After applying it, I open the spare toothbrush to brush my teeth before leaving the bathroom with my towel draped around my shoulders. Cas is sulking on the couch when I walk into the living room and I ball up my towel and throw it at him.

"Cas, stop sulking, I'm not mad," I tell him when he pulls the wet towel off his head and glares at me playfully.

"I made you uncomfortable, you have a right to be angry," He sighs as he places the towel on the couch next to him.

"Well, I'm not mad, and it was only uncomfortable because you kept talking about my orgasm," Meg stops walking and her jaw drops as she comes out from the kitchen.

"Well, I was going to call you boys to breakfast, but this conversation is far more interesting." Cas gets up off of the couch, "Oh, don't stop on my account,"

"Megan, please. Not now," Cas says in a pointed tone. Meg tosses her hands up in defeat and walks back into the kitchen and Castiel turns back to me, "Dean, I really am sorry. I forget sometimes that you and I come from very different households,"

"It's okay, Cas. You are completely right in what you were saying, but I've been shamed and basically told to never talk about it," I look at the floor as my face heats up once again, "So it's just... kind of awkward talking about it." I flinch when I feel his gentle hand on my jaw as he makes me look at him. I had no idea he had walked over to me and it takes me off guard.

"I know this, Omega. I should have known better." Castiel says quietly as he searches my eyes, "I am sorry that I made you uncomfortable, do not try and block my apology." His hand lingers on my jaw and I try my damnedest to not lean into his gentle yet firm touch. _Damn heat,_ "Now let's go and eat," Castiel's intense blue gaze is gone along with his touch as he quickly heads into the kitchen. I inhale a sharp breath like it had been taken away from and pant for just a moment before I follow him. Meg has made a mound of bacon, two fried eggs for each of us, a small stack of toast, and a small stack of pancakes.

"Castiel said you like your fried eggs just a bit runny, but, if he's being an ass and lying you can tell me now and I will cook them a little more," Meg says from behind her coffee mug as she drinks. I sit down next to Cas, who is currently spreading butter onto his toast.

"I am not being an ass, Dean does like his eggs a bit runny. He likes to dip his toast in the yolk!" Castiel says before crunching into his toast. 

"He isn't wrong. Thank you, Meg," I say as I pick up my fork and break the yolk of my eggs. I grab two pieces of toast and tear a piece to dip. Maybe it's the small hangover, but the bread is easily one of the best breads I've had in my life.

"Oh. I didn't know that's what Cas has to deal with when he dines with you," Meg says, her eyes wide and looking back and forth between Castiel and I.

"Yes, and sometimes he's not aware of it," Castiel sighs as he shakes his head and cuts into his egg with his fork, "Other times he moans on purpose." I swallow and look at the both of them, "Yes, Dean. You did that damn moaning you do when something tastes great." 

"Sorry," I say sheepishly.

"I-it's fine, it's just. Wow."

"Down, girl." Castiel says around his bite of egg, "You are dating me, remember?"

"And you sound just fine, but Dean over there," Meg purses her lips and ducks her head.

"Megan!" Castiel tries not to laugh as I smirk at her. Breakfast passes quickly with laughs and meaningless banter and I help Meg with the dishes. I get dressed in yesterday's clothes before I am walked to the front door by both Meg and Cas.

"Thank you for helping me clean up, Dean," Meg says as she hugs me, "And don't be a stranger, you can come by any time! You know this!"

"I do, but I always feel like I'm going to intrude, or, walk in on something," I shrug as Meg lets go of me. Castiel snorts before pulling me against him and looking up at me.

"I can guarantee you won't be intruding, or, walking in on us, Dean," Castiel shakes his head. I look down at him with a smirk.

"You sure you can promise that last part, Alpha?" Cas slaps my chest and I laugh as I pull away, "Alright, alright! I'll see if I can't come over more,"

"Don't be afraid to bring Lisa along, too," Meg says as I open the door.

"Yeah," I hear them say goodbye as I close the door behind me. I can feel my body heat rising again and I shiver. My heat was progressing fast this time, but I guess it was to be expected. I hadn't had one in over close to twenty years now. I should go home and grab all my toys and some spare clothing, even if I would be wearing any clothes for a while, and head to my mother's.

*********

It starts after a few days at my mom's, and it was so slow at progressing I almost don't notice it. At first, I thought it was just the beginning of the flu. It started early this morning, my body hot, my joints achy, my stomach crampy, and knotted up. It wasn't until I shifted my weight on my bed that I felt the soaked sheets and blanket and it brought back bad memories from my first one. I half expected to see my father standing in my old bedroom doorway. It was my mother instead, ready with a filling meal and a glass of water for me. She didn't yell at me, she didn't degrade me, she didn't make fun of me. She calmed my panic and made sure I ate everything and drank the glass of water. She changed my sheets, gave me a spare blanket. She gave me some brand new heat helping toys along with a bottle of fake Alpha scent that was far too musty and heavy in my opinion, and, a bottle of fake Alpha Seed that's supposed to soothe heat waves and keep them from coming back so soon.

Now it was the afternoon and for the seventh time today, I had my face shoved deep into my pillow to muffle the loud and wild moans falling from my lips as the intense pleasure of my heat completely wrecks my body. Castiel's scent is nearly completely gone, but in my heat wrecked mind, he's the only person I can focus on. It's not some fleshy Alpha knot dildo plunging in and out of me, pushing against my prostate, and nearly making me feral with lust. It is Castiel pounding into me, in and out in and out, circling his hips and thrusting deep. I arch my back deeper, presenting to imaginary Cas even more, making my chest and stomach lay pretty much flat on my twin size mattress with my ass in the air, "AH!" I shout as I finally spill all over the sheets below me, clenching around the fake knot hard. The fake knot pops and artificial Alpha Seed pumps into me, making me shiver and whimper as my limpening cock twitches to ooze more cum out. My body is boneless, my limbs feel like jello, and my breaths come out in fast pants as this wave of heat resigns and sinks back deep into my bones. I let go of the end of the dildo and rest my eyes as I try and catch my breath.

"Dean, hun, are you alright? It's been a while since you've had anything to eat or drink," Mom's voice says quietly on the other side of the door. I try to answer but my throat is dry and raw from the past hours of heat. I hear the door slowly open and I would have blushed if I wasn't so tired, "Oh, Dean," Mom says and I hear her put the plate and cup on my old desk next to the door. Her hands are cold on my ankles as she slowly moves them so I am fully laying down.

"M-m," I try to protest as she gently removes the realistic dildo from me and places it in the box next to my bed with the other toys before covering me with the blanket I had kicked to the foot of the bed.

"Dean, shh. Baby, it's okay," Mom hushes me and I finally have enough strength to open my eyes fully and look at her, "Your father isn't here. I can finally take care of you as I should have during your first heat. I am so sorry I never fought harder to do this," She says as she struggles to roll me over, "I know how tired you must be, Dean, but please work with me? You're a full-grown adult now," She grunts. I struggle to gather the strength to roll over, "Thank you," I shift my weight to keep as much pressure off my ass as possible and cringe when I feel the artificial Alpha Seed slowly ooze out of me. I wouldn't be using this again, no matter how much it did help ease my heat, it is just too messy.

"W-w-wa-" I try to swallow to wet my throat but it's too dry and I end up coughing. Mom quickly turns to my desk and brings back the glass of water.

"Here, Dean, drink this," Mom lifts my head with a hand and carefully brings the glass to my lips. I'm not exactly sure what I'm drinking, but it isn't water. Regardless, I suck it down in huge gulps and pant when Mom takes it away, "Easy, you don't have to rush. Besides, I'll have to run to the store if you keep drinking the way you are, I don't have much of the ingredients left," She holds the glass to my lips again and I take slower drinks, "Good."

"Hung-hungry," I whine after the cup is empty, too tired to form complete sentences. Mom brushes a few sweaty strands of hair from my forehead and turns from me to grab the plate and place the cup down.

"I know you don't like salmon, but it's rich in protein and will help keep your energy up. You'll feel better in the long run, baby," I frown and try to push the plate away but I'm too weak. I open my mouth reluctantly as she holds a fork full to my lips. I frown as I chew and Mom shakes her head with a fond smile, "You never did change like Sammy did when he grew up," She laughs gently. She was right, I was basically the same person, cocky, a smart ass, confident, and not a fan of healthy foods. Sam was quiet, shy, easily intimidated, and he would choose junk over his greens, but, now? Well, he is awesome. Sam is loud, confident, intimidates others when he needs to, and he makes these weird green health food shakes, and, eats fake bacon. He goes for runs and jogs every morning, early in the morning. He's healthier than I'll ever be. Mom puts the fork down, "See? Wasn't so bad, now, was it?" She holds a slice of banana out to me, "It's a weird combination, I know, but you'll thank me later," I raise my eyebrow at her before eating the slice she is holding out for me. My eyes begin to droop and I yawn between slices of banana, "Almost finished," Mom says gently. By the last bite, I can't keep my eyes open. I feel her lips on my forehead and hear her collect the cup from my desk after she pulls my sweat-soiled blanket over me, "I'll be in for sheets later, Dean. Get some rest while you can," My door clicks shut and I fall into heat exhausted sleep.

*********

I wake up and groan in protest as my heat starts up in another intense wave. I know for a fact that I hadn't slept long, my guess is maybe 15 minutes at the most. I jump when my phone rings and I roll onto my stomach to grab it off the small nightstand next to my bed, "Cas?" 

"Hello, Dean. I just wanted to check in on you. How are you doing?" I blush as my heat surges and makes me bite back a needy moan at his voice.

"I've been better, Alpha," My voice quivers as my vision brightens at his voice, "Cas, I-" I pant hard and let out a shaky swear under my breath as my hips roll down into the mattress against my best effort to keep them still, "I gotta go," I hear his worried protest as I end the call and take myself into my hand, pumping furiously. His voice and phantom smell are all I can focus on and I groan in protest at the scene my mind produces as my eyes flutter shut. Cas and I are back at the old high school, we are showering with the other boys, but we're not teens anymore. We're all grown-ups, and as I drop to my knees and reach out to touch his thigh for help all the danger of other Alphas in the room is gone. It's just Cas and I. Cas sniffs the air and looks down where my hand is on his thigh and his icy blue changes into a dangerous red. His hand wraps around mine, his Alpha taking complete control of him, making him feral, growing his nails sharp and making his teeth pointed.

"Such a beautiful, ripe, needy Omega," He growls and yanks me from the floor, his dark voice and rough strength making a gush of slick coat my thighs. Cas takes a hold of my throat and buries his nose into my neck at the gland, "Dean, _fuck!_ You smell so," I moan loudly as he bites at my gland but not hard enough to break the skin and claim me, " _Delicious,_ " He snarls in my ear before licking a stripe down my neck and chest where he bites down hard on my nipple before sucking it into his mouth and running his tongue over it. I keen and thrash against him, wanting more, more, _more._

"C-Cas, Alpha, p-please! Cl-claim-" Feral Cas slams me against the wet stone wall of the shower room and pins my hands above my head with one hand, his other slowly and gently dragging his claws up my ribs before his hand wraps around my neck.

"Say it." He looks at me with his feral red eyes, "Say it, Dean. Tell me just how much you want my knot, tell me how much of a dirty knot slut you are for me." Before I could say anything he kicks my legs apart and shoves into me, hand letting go of my neck to cover my mouth as I mewl, my eyes rolling into the back of my head, "Say it, Omega slut." My words are muffled by his hand and he laughs tauntingly, "You don't even need to say it. I can feel it, I can feel just how wet you are for me and my knot." Cas pulls nearly all the way out and slams back into me, growling in pleasure. He snaps his hips, roughly fucking into me, "I know, Dean. I know just how badly you want me," He pants as he looks into my eyes, "I know everything," My heart picks up speed, "This little mark of ours," He lets go of my mouth to grope at the mark on my thigh, "It connects us. When it feels hot, I'm thinking about fucking you, I'm getting off thinking about you," He kisses me bruisingly, sharp teeth threatening to break the skin as he bites my lower lip. His tongue plunges in and out of my mouth, completely dominating me. "I can feel it when you masturbate to me, I feel it in my bones. I know, Dean, I know." 

"Cas! _Oh shit_ , Cas, please! I, I'm sorry. I-" I babble as he trusts ruthlessly in and out of me. His mark on my thigh explodes with firey hot tingles and I'm snapped out of my imagination. I still my movements and let go of my dick, I let my fingers slide out of me. My heat throbs in protest, demands to be fed, to be filled, to be pushed to relief, but I ignore it.

What the fuck was I doing? Cas being feral? Me begging him to claim me? Or almost begging him to claim me? That's... wrong. That's crossing a line. I have Lisa. I am marrying Lisa, and when our year is up, we will claim each other. This feral Cas fantasy, it's all got to be because of my heat. It can't hold any real wants or feelings, it can't hold any truth. There's no way that's what these heated tingles mean. Cas doesn't want me, I... I don't want him. I want Lisa. I love Lisa. There is no way Castiel could ever like me, there's no way he'd go goddamn _f_ _eral_ for me. I'm so sure that these heated tingles mean nothing of the sort, it's just my dumb heat talking. These fantasies mean nothing, it's all heat-driven nothingness.

"Dean?" So why am I calling Cas's phone?

"Meg?" And why is Cas not answering his phone?

"Dean? Is something wrong?" And is that a muffled moan in the background?

"Oh, no. Just. I hung up on Castiel earlier and I just wanted to make sure he's -" That is definitely Cas moaning in the background, and it's caught me so off guard that I used his whole name.

"Oh, Cas is okay. He's... you can totally hear him, can't you?" Meg says with a sigh, "Look, hun, I'm going to be honest. I have no clue what's jumpstarted it, but Cas just went into rut. He's fine, it's just caught him off guard and I've locked him in our room for safety. I've called his parents to let 'em know so I'll be staying at their house until it's over."

"For safety? Is he okay? Are you?" Castiel gets louder in the background and my heat rages and demands to be taken care of.

"I know you're probably fighting off a wave of heat if your voice is anything to go by, but Cas is okay. Stop fighting your heat and take care, Dean."

"Uh, okay. Goodbye, Meg." The line goes dead and I drop my phone back onto the bedside table and ignore the butterflies that rush into my stomach. Did I do this? Surely I didn't do this. Surely I didn't just jumpstart Cas's rut. It couldn't be me, right?

"Dean?" I sit up in my bed when Mom knocks on my door, "Dean, Anna just called me to tell me Castiel went into rut way earlier than he should have and to tell you just in case you try to get a hold of him and he doesn't answer his phone." Mom says through the door, "He's very out of it according to Meg. If your heat has subsided enough to allow visitors she wants to have a chat? Is everything alright?"

"Everythings fine, Mom. Kinda busy, right now," That's a lie. My body feels like it's had ice water dumped over it and I can feel myself disassociating. My heat has halted for the time being as I process all of this, but I'm not sure if I want to process this. I rub absently at the mark on my thigh as it burns almost painfully. Cas, I know for a fact now, is... My mind blanks and I fall back onto my bed. This has to be some heat-induced dream. It has to be. It's what it feels like. This is all some heat-fever dream. I close my eyes and force myself to sleep.

*********

I wake up rutting against the mattress. I have no idea what time it is and my heat working overtime for being denied earlier doesn't leave any time for checking my phone. Images of Cas in rut and fucking into some fake Omega canal toy, being absolutely desperate drives me home and I shout into my pillow as my dick spasms and spurt after spurt after spurt after never-ending spurt of cum coats the sheets under me and leaves a sticky, hot mess. I'm too tired to relish in the afterglow, being 30 and still having a heat is exhausting.

It's like my first heat all over again. Cas will not leave my mind. He's my waking thought and the last thought I have before I go to sleep. I thought it would change when I had a mate. I hear my door crack open, "Oh good, you are awake." Mom says quietly, "Do you have enough energy to walk across the hall? I don't want to complain, dear, but you're starting to smell up the house and I'd like to give you a bath."

"No offense, Mom, but it's already awkward enough you removed a dildo from my ass earlier. I really don't want you bathing me." I pull the blanket over me just as she opens the door all the way and steps in.

"Dean, I'm your mom, I changed and bathed you as a baby, it's really nothing I haven't seen. It's my job as your mom to bathe you, feed you, and, yes, even remove your special toys from you. It is my job to care for you." I roll over and look at her, "If you want, I could get Meg?"

"That'd be even worse. My best friend's girlfriend bathing me? No thanks. I've got this." I will myself to gather enough energy to move and bring the blanket with me as I try to stand but my knees buckle and I fall to the floor, "See, I meant to do that!" I grin up at her as I prop myself up on my elbow and she shakes her head.

"Meg helps bathe her own grandparents, I'm sure she wouldn't mind bathing you," I drop my grin and roll my eyes. At least Meg wasn't a total stranger.

"Okay, fine. But I don't like it." I state and try to get up but trying to stand took all of my energy, "Maybe get Cas's dad? Kinda stuck down here," I didn't trust a whole lot of Alphas, but Chuck was definitely one of them. Mom smiles at me before closing my door again and flop back onto my back with an arm under my head. I stare up at my ceiling, at all the old posters of rock bands and Gunnar Lawless. He was officially my first celebrity crush. The first man I ever had a crush on and Dad hated that. I never officially told him that I was bisexual, he already hated me for being an Omega. He did suspect it, though, and he would make really degrading remarks about it so I came out long after he was dead. To my family, at least. I came out to my friends way before I ever came out to my family. The first person I ever came out to was Cas. We were 14 and it was kind of awkward. I had begged him to put on the channel that Gunnar was going to be on, going up against some guy named Destroyer Danny. I had popped a boner while Gunnar had Danny pinned to the floor and was struggling to keep him there, grunting and using his hips as well as his upper body to keep Danny from getting up. Cas didn't say anything then and there because we were watching it in the living room with his parents and siblings. Sharing the top bunk that night though, while Jimmy snored under us and Gabriel studied away while blasting music from his cassette player wearing cheap headphones, is when he did bring it up. My heart dropped out of my ass and my pores wrung themselves dry in a cold sweat. I couldn't look him in the eye until he made me with a gentle hand to my cheek. He told me it was alright if I was gay and he would still love me as a friend without a change in how he saw me. A Godsend, really. I'm not sure what I would have done if he had approached the subject with any hint of distaste. Probably would have broken my damn neck trying to get off the top bunk in a hurry to run home. I told him how I liked both men and women, Alpha and, in some cases, Omegas too. It opened a flood gate and Cas confessed that while women are pretty, he really liked men more and he was glad he finally had somebody he could talk about it with without feeling judged.

"Oh, wow, you were feral at some point, Dean." Meg's voice brings me out of my thoughts and my face heats up so badly you could cook an egg on it, "Chuck, you're going to want that mask you brought to make Dean laugh and actually use it. He's got the heat of a lifetime!" Meg looks at me in sympathy, "Your eyes still have flecks of feral Omega gold in them," I scrub my eyes and will away the remnants of gold before I feel strong hands working their way under me.

"Hey, Dean. Sorry about the mask, but safety first." Chuck says behind his gasmask as he scoops me up and almost drops me, "Meg, he's a heavy man, and a tall one at that, a little help?" I hear the bathtub start to fill. Meg comes over and between the two of them my weak, heat-wrecked, body is carried out of my room and across the hall to the bathroom.

"Jesus Christ, Dean! Lay off the burgers and pie will you?" Meg grunts as they lower me into the filling bathtub. The blanket floats around me and I look helplessly up at all three of them.

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault, if I hadn't switched heat suppressants I wouldn't be a weak mess right now," Chuck shakes his head and tries to protest but Mom speaks before he does.

"Dean, it's fine. We're happy to help, we love you. You thought your suppressants weren't working so you did what was best for you and switched," Her hand cups my cheek, "If your suppressants had failed in public..." Mom closes her eyes in fear, "You did the right thing." I rest my head against the wall of the shower-tub and look at all of them again. I'm thankful for their help. For Mom and all she has done today. For Chuck who picked me up and carried me into here with Meg. I'm even thankful for Meg and what she's about to do no matter how awkward I'm going to feel.

"Thank you," I say weakly and I give them a tired smile. Chuck nods at me before leaving and Mom takes the blanket and wrings it out before she leaves with it to toss it into the washer in the small closet in the hallway.

"Dean?" Meg says softly as she takes the sponge from the hook it's hanging on above my head and dipping it into the water at my feet. 

"Yeah?" I watch as she squeezes it under the water to help it soak up water faster.

"I wouldn't be mad, Cas and I do have an agreement you would probably never understand, but... Did you and him...?" I know what her question is and I so badly want to disappear even though Cas and I never had sex, "It's just. You two are so close, I certainly wouldn't be shocked in the first place. If I'm being honest here, I wouldn't mind either because it's you, but... Did you ever? Have-"

"Cas and I have never had sex, Meg. Not even when we were younger." Meg chews her bottom lip as she wrings the sponge over my body, "We didn't have sex at the motel, he was having a wet dream about you and he accidentally marked me." There's that _I know something you don't know_ look in her eyes again, "What is that look for? What are you keeping from me?" Meg doesn't answer, she only dips the sponge at my feet again wrings it out over me.

"It's not my secret to tell." She shakes her head, and I swear I hear her call Cas a coward under her breath but I can't be too sure because it's also washed out by the loud running water, "Are you and Lisa alright? I don't smell your bond anymore," Meg says gently as we wait for the tub to fill. I avoid her gaze. Lisa and I were... okay. Sure, we were fighting more and more about our wedding, but we had at least settled on a month. Lisa and I were fine. Fading scent bonds happen all the time, right?

"We're fine, Meg. Just have different dreams for our wedding." Meg doesn't say anything, instead, she turns the water off and grabs the bar of soap to suds up the sponge. She puts the bar back and kneels beside the tub before washing my neck. She doesn't say anything at the crusted cum or the sticky mess of my stomach and I'm grateful for it.

"You know, not for nothing, but, maybe you and Lisa shouldn't get married. It's your life and you can do whatever, but for a scent bond to just fade away like this?" I wince as she washes over my nipples, "Sorry," She laughs lightly, "I know how sensitive they must be," My heat simmers under my skin and I look away from her as my dick twitches tiredly. This was so embarrassing.

"Your scent bond doesn't fade when you and Cas fight?" I ask as she lifts my arm to wash my armpit. God, I wish I wasn't so tired so I could wash myself.

"No, not even when we had that huge fight a few years back. So, if you don't mind me probing, are you and Lisa really okay?" I do my best not to squirm and laugh as Meg gently washes my side. 

"No," I sigh and look at her, "No, I don't think we are. I've been lying to myself, to everyone." Meg gives me a sad smile as she washes the other side of my body, "We can't agree on anything, we _just_ came to an agreement on a month, but if I'm being honest I only agreed to make her happy. I don't want a December wedding, I want one during the spring and summer cusp, where the wether is perfect and everything is green and blooming," Meg wipes at the cum on my stomach and I blush and look away from her again.

"You and Cas have the same taste," She says quietly, "It sounds like maybe either now isn't the right time for you two to be getting married, or maybe you're better off not getting married." Meg says, "I can do this next part if you don't have the strength," Meg says as she avoids my crotch. I weakly reach for the sponge and she gives it to me so I can wash my dick and balls, "If you want I can lift you and you can clean away all that old..." Meg trails off. I nod and try my hardest to help lift myself up so I'm not as heavy and clean my ass.

"The thing is, I do love Lisa. I really do, and I want to marry her, but," I say as I hand the sponge back to her. Meg rinses it out and suds it up again so she can continue to wash my body, "But, maybe you're right. Maybe Lisa and I aren't meant to be married." My heat surges and I gasp, "We should hurry this bath thing along."

"Not to make this any more awkward than it already is, Dean, but you smell absolutely delicious." Meg's nose flares, "And I'm usually not into Omegas heat-wise," Meg finishes washing my feet and rinses the sponge again before hovering it above my head, "Eyes," She says and I close them before she wrings it out over my head, "This is really a last-minute thought, I should have washed your hair first. I'm sorry," Meg grabs a bottle of shampoo and squeezes some onto my hair, "Anyway, Dean, I really do think you should talk to Lisa about this. I wasn't going to say anything, but. Well, when Cas called me to tell me the news, I don't know, her proposal felt rushed." She says as she lathers my hair, "Proposing in a hospital? That's only romantic when you're on your death bed."

"I feel like it was rushed too," I admit quietly, "Sure, we were ecstatic because of Alli, but... It doesn't sit right with me,. Maybe she was going to propose to me over dinner, but if it had been me, I would have waited for another time."

"Have you voiced this to her?" Meg asks, "Okay. Your heat is really kicking up again so I'm going to need you to use the last of your energy to work with me here and get your head under that faucet." 

"I haven't. I'm afraid it will cause another fight... or worse." I grunt as I do my best to move around so she can rinse my hair. Meg turns the water on and quickly adjusts it so it's not freezing and leads my head under it, "And it hurts to even think about losing her, Meg. I love her." 

"I know, Dean. I really do think you should talk to her about it, though. Voice your concerns, and whatever happens you know Cas and I have your back." Meg's phone rings and she wipes her hand on her jeans before answering it, "Cas?" I ignore the way my heart skips as his voice comes through, muffled by Meg's hair. He's babbling and groaning into the phone and I shut my eyes as everything starts becoming bright, "Cas, baby, I'm bathing Dean and I'm not positive but I think his heat is going to kick in soon- no, his heat is definitely in full swing again." I try my hardest to cover my swiftly growing erection as I try focusing on the loud rush of the water instead of Cas's moaning from the other end of the phone, "I've got to go, Cas. I have to get the shampoo out of Dean's hair and get him back to his roo-" I look at Meg and she nearly drops her phone into the bath, "Dean? Oh no," All coherent thoughts are thrown out the window as I hear Cas moan my name through the speaker. My teeth sharpen and my vision glows like everything is under some humming fluorescent tube lighting.

"Alpha-"


	10. 9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :))))

When I come to, I'm back in my room. I have no memories of how I got to my room or why my bed is covered in pillow stuffing that's pouring out of the bite mark shaped hole. I look around my room and it's completely trashed, everything that was on my desk is strewn across the floor. There are torn down posters on the floor, there's an embarrassing puddle of slick on the floor, there's cum on my floor, and I believe that is spit on my floor as well. The blinds covering my window are broken and tangled and I can see the light on in Cas's old room. Cas. He... I was feral. I went feral. I went feral because I heard him moan out my name. Was it desperate? Was he thinking about... No, no not my- not Cas. Cas wouldn't be thinking about me like _that_. He was only talking to Meg about me while dealing with his rut. Yeah, Cas was asking about me because he was worried about me, like usual. Always looking out for me. With my first heat, he did that, Cas always came home from school, knocked on the door, asked how I was doing, and made sure I had been taken care of. Cas annoyed the hell out of my father every time he did because he always proved to be a better Alpha than he was. Sharp pains in my stomach have me ripped from my thoughts and reaching for tipped over trash can next to my bed, and dry heaving into it. I hear Mom's feet hit the floor of her bedroom and pad the short distance over to my door, "Dean?" The door handle twists and I panic. My room is a complete wreck! She'll be rightfully angry if she sees it.

"Mom, no-" I protest her opening my door but I'm cut short with another dry heave. 

"Oh, Dean," Mom says in a quiet gasp as she takes a look around my room. I can feel my heat simmer once again under my skin, only it's back with a vengeance as another sharp, glowing-hot knife pain stabs me in the uterus. I puke up green bile and stomach acid with such force it brings tears to my eyes, "Oh, huny, come here," Mom steps around the things on my floor and bends down to hug me, "Your second heat is kicking your ass, huh?" She says as I puke again when there's another sharp pain in my uterus. I have endured pain like breaking my arm, but this? This was so much worse. The pain is so bad it's churning my stomach and making me throw up. Is this normal? My mom hasn't had a heat since Sammy was born. I was dropped off to stay with Bobby because her heat made my father's rut kick in- something about true mates matching cycles to ensure pups and make a strong bloodline- so, I have no idea if she was in pain or not. She was almost my age. Maybe it is normal for older heats. I wish I had the courage to ask her, but being naked in her arms is embarrassing enough. I don't want _The Talk_ with her now. Maybe I could ask Meg. Meg. She wasn't here, I couldn't scent her around with my sharpened senses caused by heat either. Did I attack her? Is Meg okay?

"Meg. Meg? Where is she? Did I hurt her?" I don't think I'd forgive myself if I hurt her. The last thing I remember was reaching for her phone as I called out for Cas. Cas, I called for Cas, every nerve ending cried for him. For him to touch me, kiss me, love me, _claim_ me. I feel dizzy and light-headed, my stomach flips inside out, and ties itself in a complicated knot before emptying more acid into my trash bin. Mom rubs calming circles on my bare back and hums some Metalica song to try and calm me down. Her rainy o-zone scent is sweetened with calming tones as she hushes me as I cry from puking so hard, and, being so overwhelmed with emotions. My emotions are so raw and so intense because of the rush of hormones pumping through my system from my heat. They're driving me insane, the neediness, the alone feelings, the want and yearning to be held and be bred by an Alpha. An Alpha that wasn't even mine. An Alpha that had been my best friend for well over 20 years. Maybe Ruby was right. Maybe I do have unknown feelings for Cas. Maybe that's why my scent bond is fading with Lisa. Maybe that's why all of this is happening. I rub at Cas's mark on my thigh as ghostly tingles bring me out of my thoughts and soothes my worries for a second. His mark on my leg, it's brought so many emotions and thoughts to me during just this first day of heat. His scent soothing, the tingles making me feel less alone at times, making my heat wracked brain constantly think about him, and, constantly making him the star in my fantasies. As much as it calms and soothes me, it scares me. I should be thinking about _my_ Alpha. I should be calmed and soothed by the thoughts of Lisa. I should be fantasizing about _Lisa._ I love her. I know I love _my_ Alpha. I know I love Lisa. I'm going to marry her in the winter, we are going to be mated, we are going to start a family together. I want her. I want this. I want to marry her. Why do I keep having to reassure myself that I love her and I want to marry her? My stomach empties again as another sharp pain shoots through my uterus.

"No, baby, Meg is fine. Her phone is in rice, though. You sloshed a good amount of water everywhere when you tried to get her phone." Mom pauses and clears her throat, "Dean, we _must_ talk about that later. About a lot of things." I shake my head and put the trash can down next to my foot before looking up at her. Mom looks exhausted and worried and I feel guilty knowing I'm the cause of it, "It's... Dean, I'm worried, even if your heat has been this repressed for all these years, it's not exactly natural to go feral for so many hours, especially for an Alpha that isn't yours." As if I didn't know that to begin with. My body shivers in fear as my mind races a million miles a second. Cas and Lisa are the main focus of all the thoughts rushing around and crashing into each other like a bad car pile up on a busy summer freeway. I have no idea what's going on with me and why I'm having all of this internal turmoil.

"I know, Mom. I know, and I'm scared. Something is wrong with me! What's wrong with me?" Mom gives me a gentle look and holds my face in her hands. My heart races as she goes to speak with a knowing glint in her eyes but she's cut off by my phone ringing, Cas's ringtone blaring compared to the gentleness of our voices.

"You answer that and lay back down, I'll get your room cleaned up, and then if your stomach has settled after this wave of heat, I'll make you a quick meal." Mom kisses my forehead before leaving to get cleaning supplies. I reach for my phone with a shaky hand and lose my breath as I see Cas's face lighting up the screen. It was his doctor's photo ID, set up for a joke. His hair is partially mussed, his tie is just a bit looser than it should be, the white of his lab coat brings out the blue of his eyes, and his smile is as fake as a three dollar bill. He hated it.

"Cas?" My voice cracks on his name and I clear away pillow stuffing before laying my head on my practically empty pillow.

"Dean," His voice is raw and airy, "You're alright!" I can hear his tired smile, "I tried calling earlier to check on you after you... I'm glad to hear your voice," Mom walks it with a cleaning rag, a small Tupperware of soapy water, and a trash bag that she empties my small trash bin into.

"Course I'm okay, Cas," Mom looks over with an amused look. I wave her off before rolling over and cringing when I roll into a cold puddle of cum and slick. How many other nasty puddles are around my room? God this is gross, I never want to be actually feral again! Not like this anyway! "I'm sorry about, well. I'm not exactly sure what happened after I tried to reach for Meg's phone, but whatever I did, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Dean, nothing happened... Well, if I'm honest, everything is so hazy that I really don't remember anything besides Meg saying your heat was in full swing again..." Cas pauses for a second, "When I called earlier to see how you were doing I... I heard you went feral, well, I could still hear that you were feral in the background," I could hear the smug teasing smirk in his voice and I roll my eyes.

"And I heard you moaning Meg's ear off. What about it?" It came out more snappy than I intended and Cas sighs.

"Touchy subject. Okay. I'm sorry, Dean. I, well, I have also gone feral today so I know how you must feel. We're in the same boat." The mark on my thigh turns a ghostly warm and I bite my lip, "I'm not exactly sure what I've done in the past hours, but my entire house is a wreck and I need to clean several surfaces once I get enough energy to move again."

"Yeah? But did you mate bite your own pillow?" I ask and Mom snorts. Castiel chuckles, gravely and deep, and it sends a shiver down my spine as my heat begins to boil under my skin.

"Several, actually. I'm afraid I may need to order new throw pillows for the couch, Dean. And, when you're not busy with your heat, if you could kindly bring your sewing kit over? I bit the back of the couch and it needs repair." I breathe sharply through my nose at the imagery of Cas being feral and ripping apart pillows as he thrusts into his hand or maybe even a toy, "Your heat bothering you again, Omega?" Cas asks with such tenderness it makes me slick and I hate it. Mom clears her throat pointedly.

"Yeah. I'm even getting some bad cramps." I admit. I feel a sharp burning pull on my ovaries and screw my eyes shut.

"I'll have Meg drop off the Midol you took the last time you were here, Dean. I don't want you suffering." Cas's voice grows deeper as he talks and it makes my heat kick in but I don't want to hang up just yet. Cas's voice is soothing and comforting.

"Oh, Cas, you don't have to! I'm sure my mom has some. She's had everything I need so far, including that fake Alpha seed and distributing toy for it." Castiel sucks in a sharp breath and it goes straight down my spine and pools hot in my stomach as I start producing more slick. Warm tingles caress Cas's mark and I bite my lip as I hear his bed rock twice before stopping.

"I don't but," He pants, "But I need to ta-" Castiel lets out a soft moan and I groan, my cock chubbing up rapidly, "I need to take care of my O- you. You're my best friend." My hips roll into the mattress and my cheeks burn in embarrassment as Mom clears her throat pointedly a second time.

"I think it's time for you both to hang up the phone!" She says as she puts the posters on my desk and starts picking things up from the floor to put them back where they were on my desk.

"Cas, I gotta go," I force my hips to be still and bury my face in my deflated pillow in shame and arousal, and Cas pants hard and moans and his bed creeks twice before stopping again, the heated tingles becoming more intense.

"I have to go too, Omega. My rut has been kicking in since you answered. This was a dumb, _ngh,_ a dumb idea. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, my heat has been kicking in since I woke up, I should be the one to apol _-oooh-_ gize _._ God, this is so embarrassing!" I groan as I push into the mattress under me. I feel slick roll down in a thick droplet to pool in the trimmed pubic hairs on my balls that were slowly beginning to ache.

"Dean Winchester! Hang up before I do it for you!" 

"Okay, I, _mmm,_ I really gotta go, Alph _-ah!"_ I pant hard as my body reflexively moves to present to Cas as I hear a slick, squelching sound on Cas's end and he lets out a shaky breath.

"She sounds angry, Dean. We should hang up!" His voice is low and husky and breathy and it makes my dick ache and drool as I produce more slick.

"She's not angry, Mom is just annoyed-!" I hiss in shock as Mom smacks my bare ass cheek with one of my old slippers and rips my phone away.

"Goodbye, Cas. Take care, eat a meal, and stay hydrated." Mom says before ending our call, "Don't think you're getting away easy. We will talk after this wave of heat." Mom scolds lightly. I look at her over my shoulder with flaming cheeks, "I'm serious, Dean. We really need to talk about some things."

"Yes, ma'am." She grabs the cleaning supplies and trash bag before leaving my room and shutting the door behind her. She never gave my phone back. Without Cas panting in my ear, my heat roars in protest, demanding to hear Cas, to be filled by him, to be claimed, to be mated. To be _bred_ by him. My heat tears through my body hot and angry, my uterus has another sharp, burning pain that brings tears to my eyes. The phantom mark on my leg that is burning almost painfully now finally vanishes and I reach for my trash bin again, puking, shivering, crying, and feeling suddenly so alone. I look out of my ruined blinds again and look at Cas's old bedroom window, feeling a strange tugging in my chest. I lay down and curl up in a ball in the center of my bed, feeling lost and the most alone I've felt since my first heat, and, missing Cas. His scent is gone, his mark that connected us in a way I will never have again, in a way that is still so foreign to me, a way that I will never fully understand is gone. I didn't know how comforting it truly was to me until now and it scares me yet again. What is it about his mark that affects me so much? Why all of a sudden does it feel like something so meaningful and precious has been ripped away from me? Why does his mark fading away completely leave me feeling alone, feeling lost, confused, scared? Rejected? Why does his mark fading away completely make me feel like I'm stranded at sea, like the waves and wind had knocked the map and compass out of my hands and overboard? Stomach acid burns in the back of my throat but I swallow it down and pull myself into a tighter ball. My eyesight brightens and my mind blanks, my teeth sharpen halfway. I was going feral again, and again Cas was the cause of it. My body aches and shivers as I reach for my thigh that had the mark on it. Something in me begs for Cas. Something in me screams for his eyes, his smile, his laugh, his voice, his scent. Something in me screams for his knot, to be filled and pupped, to be claimed, and to marked by him again.

My stomach heaves and hot acid fills my mouth, bitter and nasty. I swallow it back down and shiver as my heat surges with need. This was the exact opposite of my first heat. This was advanced, painful, and scary. I had no idea what was going on and it scared me.

From my mother's room, I hear my phone ring, Cas's ringtone, it rings until it goes to voicemail. And again. A third time. A fourth. Then my mother's phone starts to ring, "Castiel, please stop calling and take care of your ru... I just left his room, he's fine... No, Castiel, I will not go check on him, Dean is taking care of his hea- DO NOT SCREAM AT ME!" She raises her voice to almost a yell, "Castiel Novak! I understand scent markings just fine, but I assure you Dean is alive!... There won't be... Castiel! You have your own Omega, stop pestering!... Fine. I'll check on him." I hear Mom get out of bed and hear the floor creek before I hear my door open, "Oh, Dean... No, Cas. Dean is just fine. He's alive. Now take care of yourself before I send your father over! Mhmm... Goodnight, Castiel." I flinch when I feel her hand on my shoulder, "Dean?" She says gently. My mind is still blank and it's hard to come back to reality being in a half-feral state.

"Cas." That's not what I wanted to say, "Castiel." I don't recognize my own needy, broken, raspy voice, it's like somebody else is talking and I'm just their puppet, "Cas. A-Alpha." It's official. My own heat has made me lose my damn mind. I'm scared. I'm confused. I feel lost. I feel utterly alone, even with my mom being right next to me. I try to look at her and try to lie and tell her I'm fine but all that comes out is a broken sob as hot tears well in my eyes and make them burn.

"Oh, Dean, come here," Mom pulls me into her arms as she sits on the head of my bed, "Shh, it's alright," She rocks me as I shake with sobs. My body is on fire with heat, every sensitive area aching and throbbing and I should be embarrassed being hard and slicking while my mom holds me, but with my mind being blank with just a faint echo of _Cas, Cas, Cas,_ I can't find it in me to pull away from her and make her leave while I take care of my heat, "You're alright, Dean. It's okay." I'm not sure what I'm mumbling but being reassured by her as she rocks me back and forth and combs my hair back from my forehead gives me some comfort, "I'm not going anywhere, It's fine. You're okay." She coos as I mumble something incoherent.

"Cas-" Mom hushes me again before rubbing circles into my back. I hear her phone click as she unlocks it and it makes beeping tones as she types in a number.

"It's alright, Dean. I'm going to get you some help." I can hear the phone ringing as she puts it to her ear. My heart pounds when I hear Anna's voice answer, "Anna, I," Mom looks down at me as I gag and hold my midsection in pain, "I'm not sure exactly what's going on. I need a professional's help. Dean is," I try to get away from her as she picks my top lip up with her gentle fingers, "He's half-feral, his teeth aren't even fully sharp, and his eyes are half gold! I'm not even sure if he's fully aware of himself," There's an audible gasp from Anna before she says she'll be right over.

"C-C-C" My vision goes blank and I feel my body thrash. I can feel my mouth and throat vibrate with words but I'm not sure what I'm saying. My feet are on the floor. There's the smooth slide of a railing under my right hand. I can hear my mom calling for me, she sounds panicked. There's scratchy carpet and rubber under my feet now, and a door handle in my hand.

"DEAN!" That's not my mother's voice. Anna? Hands are on me now, then four, now six. One pair of hands is rougher, bigger in comparison to the others. Chuck? They're shoving at me, pulling on me. There are voices panicking all around me. I try to push them away, to get outside and get to wherever this pulling in my chest has started to lead me. My vision comes back but it's blurry and shaky, and the lights on in the room are so bright it's nearly blinding. Everyone is a blurred featureless blob, grabbing at me and trying to lead me shomwhere.

"Mary, I think. I think he's going full feral again!" Meg?

"What do we do? Have you ever seen anything like this?" That's my mother's voice. There's a low growl in the room, deep, guttural, dangerous. Is it me? The room spins as eight hands pull and shove and try to direct me back to the stairs. I fight against them as my vision blurrs further, I shake hands off of me, shove them away, I feel my teeth clack as they sharpen even further. There's fabric under my fist and a deep groan of pain.

Every fiber of my being is pulling me to the front door.

Every fiber in my body is aching, throbbing, begging to be filled, begging for an Alpha to breed me, begging for-

"CAS!" Everything falls away.

*********

"Dean?" Anna's voice is echoey and distant, "Dean?" I put all my energy in trying to open my eyes, "Mary, he's responsive again. I think he's coming back," All my other senses flood back to me, I can smell Anna, Meg, Mom, and Jess. There's a weighted blanket covering me from the waist down and somebody had put sweat pants on me. The softest hint of Cas's scent makes me take a deep, audible breath but I cough when Meg's, Anna's, and Mom's overpower his cinnamon smell.

"Dean? Hun? We need you to open your eyes," Mom's voice is soft and concerned and a hand brushes through my hair, "Dean, please, we need you to open your eyes. We need you to talk to us, you've been gone for so long," With one last struggle to gather enough energy, my eyes crack open, "Oh thank you, God!" Mom's hair covers my face as she leans over me and kisses my forehead.

"Alright, Cas. You saw him open his eyes, now stop ignoring your rut!" Mom gasps as I shoot straight up when I hear Cas grumble something.

"Cas?" My voice is rough, dry, and absolutely a wreck. I look over to where I heard his voice and see Meg holding an iPad up, "Cas," My head spins from sitting up so fast and I close my eyes for a second to make it stop.

"Oh, sure. Just ignore your damn fiance, yeah, that's cool! Real cool!" Lisa's voice comes from the opposite side of the room and I open my eyes to look at her. Sam and Jess and Chuck, who is wearing a heavy-duty gas mask, are all holding her back as her eyes glow a possessive red.

"Why are you even over there, Lisa? It's illegal for you to even be in the same building as him while he's in heat!" Cas's voice is a low growl and it makes goosebumps spread over my body, "You could have very well face-timed Mary or even Sam!"

"Why are you even on video call! He's not _your_ mate!" Lisa snarls, flashing her teeth in anger. I look back and forth between the device in Meg's hands and Lisa.

"No, he's not, but he is my _best friend!_ Longer than you've ever known him! _And_ I'm the only one with a certified degree in this, studying Omega men's heat and the dangers were part of my schooling!" A dangerous growl.

"Stop-"

"I'M HIS MATE! YOU'RE JUST SOME KNOTTHEAD ALPHA WHO WANTS TO PERVE ON HIM WHILE IN RUT!" Lisa cuts me off and I flinch at her primal, angry growl.

"STOP-"

"NOT YET! AND I'M HIS BEST FRIEND! I'M LOOKING AFTER HIM, MY RUT IS THE LEAST OF MY CONCERNS RIGHT NOW! I'M FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL THAN WHAT YOU ARE ACCUSING ME OF!" The speaker crackles and cuts out as Castiel growls dangerously and angrily, sending a shiver down my spine.

"I SAID STOP!" I snarl and everyone in the room flinches. Lisa and Cas had never fought before and I didn't like it. I take in the room. It's not even my house. I'm in the basement of the Novak's on a hospital bed, no doubt provided by Cas, "Why are you fighting? Lisa, you know you have me, why are you being so, so... Knottheaded! And Castiel, you're my best friend! Stop acting the same way!" I scold him when I hear him snicker. 

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act like you two were fucking married!" Lisa spits out. Meg snorts and Lisa fixes her eyes on her, "Oh, and _you're_ okay with them acting like this? Huh?"

"Castiel and I are polyamorous, Lisa. Of course, I'm fine with it." Meg says flatly, "Besides, I actually think it's endearing, men being so close and comfortable in their friendship like this." I could see yet another yelling match brewing and I sigh. Lisa was of hard faith, not too hard as she supported LGBT, but, she doubles down when it comes to having more than one Omega or Alpha.

"Lisa. Go home." I look at her pleadingly and she's so taken aback her eyes go back to normal.

"What?" Lisa falls back against Sam as she looks at me with a broken-heart expression.

"I love you, Lisa. You have my heart, I promise you that. But you need to go home before we all get into legal trouble!" I say calmly. Cas is a petty bastard and with his rut kicking in all kinds of hormones I knew he wasn't above calling authority, even if it could also put his father in hot water for being an Alpha, who wasn't family, around me while in heat, "Heat, rut, normal sex. You still have a chance to get pregnant. Go. Home." I can feel a blush spread out on my cheeks as I say this in front of everybody, especially my Mom, and Cas's parents, who are basically family.

"Dean-!"

"GO HOME, LISA!" I snap and she flinches, "Sam, Chuck, Jess. Take her upstairs and show her to her car." I look away when Lisa protests and thrashes in their arms. My scent thickens with annoyance, and she stops her fussing and goes quietly, "Cas," I look over at Meg, and Mom and Anna's eyes shift from me to the iPad in Meg's hands.

"Um, yes?" His voice is soft and timid in comparison to his yelling and growling. I look directly into the small camera lens and hear a short, quiet inhale of breath.

"I need you to hang up and go take care of your rut." 

"Alright, Dean," He says in a shaky voice. Meg rolls her eyes as she glances at the screen. My spiking heat provides plenty of images of what he may be doing that made his voice shake, "I'm glad you're awake. An hour more and I would have had my mother admit you to the heat ward under her care. Doctors orders," My eyes widen, and before I can ask Cas answers my question, "Dean, you were feral for almost twenty-four hours, my mother called me around your tenth hour, and, I have been monitoring you off and on between my own stages of rut. I'm sure you know it's dangerous for an Omega man your age to be feral for more than four hours at a time." I smile as he starts doctoring me, "You can become dehydrated and weak, in worst cases, you can leave the home and well. While you do technically consent, you're completely unaware of yourself and your surroundings. You'd also undoubtfully pup and that is bigger trouble than you need at your age. You're lucky you stayed with your mother and not tried to care for your heat in your apartment, and, you're also lucky my mother and father and Meg were right across the street; I'm well aware of you trying to leave the home-"

"Thank you, Doctor Novak," I drawl out. I try to brush off my worry for everyone but my scent fails me and Mom comes to rest a comforting hand on my shoulder. Cas's low chuckle draws my focus back to the iPad again.

"I was doctoring again, wasn't I? I'm sorry, Dean." I could hear the bashful smile in his voice, "Goodbye,"

"I'll talk to you later, Cas," I wave and the iPad makes a noise signaling Cas hanging up. Meg drops the iPad to her side before walking closer to me, "I um. I didn't hurt anybody, did I?" I ask quietly, "I remember fighting hands off my body, and I do remember at least one punch," Meg hides a laugh and Anna smiles sadly.

"Dean, you sucker-punched Chuck," Mom says, "He's fine, and he understands you weren't fully under control, but, he does have a split lip and a bruise on his ribs." I rub my hands over my face to try and will away the embarrassed and regretful blush that breaks out over my cheeks. I can't believe I punched my other father figure, bruised his ribs, and split his lip. What the actual fuck is this heat!

"Oh Jesus!" I mumble behind my hands before peeking through my fingers, "I sucker-punched Chuck?"

"Split his bottom lip like a banana, Deano," Meg tries not to laugh but it fails. 

"You sure did, kid," Chuck says as he comes down the basement stairs, voice a little muffled by his mask. I drop my hands from my face as Jess and Sam walk in after him. Sam comes over to me and holds out his hand.

"Lisa wanted you to have this, to uhh. Well, in my opinion, to mark her damn territory like a dog, but, I have read that having something that smells like your Alpha during heat can help calm and comfort you," I hold out my hand and he drops a pair of ripped, black panties into it.

"You're joking?" I look up at him and he makes a disgusted face, "You're not joking."

"Reached into her pants and ripped them off of her like it was nothing." Sam shudders. Lisa's gentle rose scent wafts up and it's like a punch to the nose. My stomach turns at her smell and I swallow down a gag. It doesn't go unnoticed by Sam but he doesn't say anything, "Well, Alli is waiting for Jess and I at Ellen's, Jo's watching her, so we should get going now that we know you're going to be alright." Sam makes a show of holding his breath as he bends over me to give me a hug, "You reek, just FYI."

"I could say the same about you, Sammy," I roll my eyes at him as he straightens up, "We did share a room together at Bobby's over summer vacations,"

"Jerk," Sam smiles fondly before moving away so Jess can give me a hug before they leave.

"Bitch," Jess laughs lightly as she lets me go and Sam takes her hand.

"I think you both smell just fine," She shakes her head with a fond smile and they both wave their goodbye as they head up the stairs.

"Well, since I'm not needed any longer, I'm going to reside in my room until you leave, Dean. I'm glad you're awake and no longer feral. I think I speak for everyone when I say we were so worried about you. I'm just glad for today's technology, otherwise, we would have had to admit you into the heat ward. Cas talked us through a lot of how to care for you when Anna fell short." He shakes his head, "I truly learned a lot caring for you, we all did." Anna steps closer to the bed with a soft smile.

"While I work in the heat ward, most Omegas I see are female. It's rare to ever have an Omega male in the ward," Anna says, "I've seen some bad heats in my days, but yours is, well. It's the worst I've ever seen in a very long time," Chuck slowly makes his way up the stairs and Meg comes closer, placing the iPad at my feet, "Which brings me to wonder..." Anna pauses and glances at Mom who nods in encouragement, "Dean," Another pause, "Have you and Cas ever...?" My eyes grow wide, "It's just, his mark on you, it's affected you so much, your mother and I just can't help but wonder if you and Cas ever-"

"Cas and I have never had- his mark was done in his sleep!" I shake my head and blush. Meg looks away and busies herself with her phone, "Cas was just... He was having a sex dream about Meg and he accidentally marked me!" Anna bites her bottom lip nervously.

"Dean," Mom says slowly, "Why were you and Cas sharing a bed?" My mouth opens and closes like a fish trying to breathe air, "You two haven't shared a bed since Cas had his first rut,"

"I, well, we had to! We tried to get a motel room with two beds but they were out!" Meg raises her eyebrow as she continues typing on her phone, and Mom and Anna give me confused and concerned looks.

"Why were you two at a motel?" Anna asks. I sigh and lay back down on the hospital bed and press the button that tilts the head of the bed up so I'm leaning back against it, "Dean?" Anna and Mom say at the same time. I would have thought Cas at least told his own mom, but, he is a busy doctor after all. I run a hand down my face and start telling them everything in detail, aside from the shower I took after witnessing Castiel cum all over the motel bedsheets. I leave out cuddling Cas back for just a curious second and I don't tell them how it affected me either. Mom and Anna grow more worried as I talk about Lisa trying to cover his mark but it never worked. They exchange looks when I admit to our scent bond breaking, and, how I feel like her proposal was rushed and too soon. Meg's face becomes a blank slate when I talk about the feeling the mark had, all those strange little tingles, and something flashes in her eyes as I talk about how his ghostly scent brought me comfort and kept me calm during the first day of heat, for the most part that is. 

"Dean," Mom says quietly and slowly like she's approaching a scared cat, "Do you know how scent marks work?" I shake my head slowly, "Well," Mom worries he bottom lip and looks at Anna for help.

"So, Cas never explained them to you?" I look at Anna tiredly and she sighs, "Oh I love my son, but he is so dumb as much as he is smart. Accidentally marks an Omega who has never been marked before, and, doesn't explain them to him." Anna shakes her head and looks at the floor for a second before looking back up to meet my eyes, "Dean, I won't go too much into detail because we don't have much time where your heat is spiking again, but you must know that there are different types of marks Alphas can leave,"

"Different types?" I ask dumbfounded. I knew Alphas could mark you, we went over it briefly in high school, but I didn't know there were different types.

"Yes, Dean. Many different types, and," Anna pauses and thinks for a moment before seemingly changing her mind on something, "The most common is, well, I won't use the scientific name, but the purpose is marking territory. It has a certain scent that only other Alphas can pick up, lets them know _hey, this Omega is claimed, back off_. The other commonly used is a mating mark. Pretty self-explanatory." Meg's phone chimes and she shakes her head and quickly types away. I raise an eyebrow at her and she waves me off.

"So what exactly is the difference? Besides the whole Alpha thing?" I bite the insides of my cheeks when my heat spikes up and slowly starts filling my cock out. Anna and Mom and Meg all look at me and I shrug, "I don't think I'm going to go feral again, now please tell me what the difference is. They didn't exactly go over this in school."

"Well," Anna starts but falls flat and looks to Mom for help.

"I think I can dumb it down, Anna," Mom says, "One thing all marks have in common is a small link that forms between the Alpha who gives the mark and the Omega, or Beta, who receives it. You feel emotions through the bond, happy, sad, angry, worry, confusion. It's all very difficult to distinguish between the different feelings, tingles as you put them." Mom says and pauses so I can wrap my head around it, "These occur especially while thinking about each other, or longing for each other," Like a record scratch, my mind comes to a halt. Cas sure did think about me a lot, I just wish I knew which emotions were happening when he was thinking about me. Maybe the heated ones were anger? I feel my eyebrows pull together as I think about the last night I saw Cas. Was he just kidding about being okay with me changing into his trunks in the same room with him? Was he angry with me when we almost kissed? Maybe it wasn't 'we', maybe it was just me who almost kissed him. God, I am such an idiot! Mom clears her throat to grab my attention, "Dean, did you hear a word I've said?" I smile awkwardly and she sighs, "To keep this short, a mating mark forms a special link that can be strengthened and bring the Alpha and their potential mate closer, some pairs use it as a promise ring of sorts as it has similar attributes to a mating bite," Anna and Mom share another glance before looking back at me.

"What?"

"Well, Dean. The thing is," Anna pauses, "I've seen something similar to your heat, only with an Omega female," I squint at her, waiting for her to continue and half knowing where this is going. 

"Okay, I'm sorry to put it bluntly, but, Cas has given me permission to tell you what mark it is because he feels horrible and this whole thing has affected him as well even if he is good at hiding it," Meg blurts, "Anna, Mary, I'm sorry, but, you're taking to long and Dean's sitting here with a full hard-on. The poor man is fighting his heat and we need to get to the bottom of this and soon, him holding his heat back as much as he has been could be a leading cause in why he's been going feral, and, Cas told me to tell you, Dean, to knock that shit off and deal with your heat properly!"

"I-"

"Yes, you have been holding back, Dean. You two were just linked, he tells me everything; no use in lying," My mouth snaps shut and Meg continues, "His mark was a mating mark. And because he's being annoying, Cas bit through the sheets, and, because of his scent-marking, had to later pay for a new mattress for the motel." My mouth drops open and I'm not sure what to process first but before I could fully process either, Meg continues, "That's why Dean is acting like a rejected mate after the mark completely fading away, and I personally think that's why he went feral so slowly afterwards."

"I'm what now? Cas what?" My mind cant comprehend all of this information at once, "I'm not? Cas- He??" Anna sucks air though her teeth and I look at her, "Anna?"

"Dean, I want you here for the remainder of your heat. I'll call work and tell them I need the week off, Chuck will have to live at your mother's for a bit," I try to protest but Anna hushes me, "I want you to have a safe heat, Dean. Mary has done amazing so far, but with you going in and out of feral, I need to take over so you don't have an expensive heat ward bill." Anna starts to usher everyone out of the room, "Your toys are in their box at the foot of the bed, hun," Anna says as her, Meg, and Mom reach the stairs, "And don't worry about volume, Chuck poured hard-earned money into making the basement nearly soundproof after Cas's first rut."

"You mean Gabe's?" I laugh and Anna shakes her head.

"No. Cas. He um. Well, it doesn't matter, the point is you don't have to worry. Let your heat be as loud as it wants." My face flushes red as Anna waves me on before following the others up the stairs. This was going to be a long week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help out a struggling writer? Even a simple dollar helps: https://paypal.me/imjustmick?locale.x=en_US


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